Thank You
by Kristix
Summary: This is my take on the blank years for Sasuke and Sakura after the war ends (They will not be out of character to the best of my ability).
1. Chapter 1

**Writer's Note:** The first half of this chapter is starting where Naruto (Chapter 699) left off in the Manga. This will be my attempt to fill in the blank years before Sakura and Sasuke go off having a family. Hope you like my take on it. :]

 ***I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND ITS CHARACTERS AND STORY, NOTHING.***

 **Chapter 1**

Team 7 stood at the village gates, sending Sasuke off on his journey after the war. Kakashi looked at Sasuke, hoping he wasn't wrong about pardoning him. He explained to Sasuke why he was pardoned and not to mess up this lucky opportunity.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, never breaking contact with Sasuke. Sasuke nodded in understanding, "Yeah, sorry…"

Sakura was hesitant, mostly worried and wondering why Sasuke felt the need to leave so soon before receiving his artificial arm. She opened her mouth to say something and paused, "...You're really going to leave? Tsunade is almost done creating your arm.."

Sasuke closed his eyes, feeling the need to explain why he needed this, to venture on his own, "..Right now I need to see this ninja world for myself… I must know what kind of state this world is in…

"I feel like I'm finally able to see all the things I've overlooked and missed up till now… And if I don't seize this opportunity, I might miss my chance to see with this kind of clarity again. On top of that, there's a few things that have been on my mind."

Sakura knew whatever she wanted to really say wouldn't matter, that she had to respect his decision. However, she couldn't keep herself from asking the inevitable, "Well, what if I… Asked you to take me with you?"

She looked down, knowing full well Sasuke would say no. But she had to ask, she needed to know if she even had a chance. She waited, then glanced at Sasuke.

"This is a journey of redemption for me. My sins have nothing to do with you."

Sakura looked at the dirt beneath her feet, ' _Of course it has nothing to do with me. I never mattered to begin with.'_

Sasuke stared at Sakura, wondering many things. He just couldn't understand why she felt so attached to him. Nothing ever happened between them, that he could recall, to be significant. And yet here she was, hellbent on accompanying him, or to keep him in the village. But most of all, his image of her never really changed, because her feelings all this time never wavered. And that's what was so mind boggling to him.

When his battle with Naruto ended right after the war, he felt like he was free, like he could see again. He felt the weights fall off his shoulders, felt the need to start over and turn a new leaf. And when Sakura had found them and came to their aid, so many things went through Sasuke's mind. He remembered all the things he's done to their friends, to the village, and to her… And how much it pained her the most. In that moment, he knew he had to apologize, it was something he had to do for _Sakura_. This sparked the reasoning to venture on his journey of redemption. He had to take a good look at the world, look at his mistakes, and learn from them. He needed to. He needs to find himself again while he still can.

He approached Sakura, and done what his brother, Itachi, had done before him. He tapped Sakura on the forehead,

"I'll see you when I'm back."

Sakura looked at Sasuke, completely surprised at his small gesture. He never acted this way before, and she knows that better than anyone. She knew deep down it was a special gesture, and because of it she felt relief wash over her. Somehow, it made her feel light. Hopeful.

Sasuke stood for a moment longer in front of her, trying to say what he felt the need to. To say to her specifically.

"...And thank you…"

Sasuke turned to start his journey, leaving Sakura behind with Kakashi, speechless.

Sasuke looked up at the sky, ' _Thank you... For not giving up on me._ '

Sasuke remained lost in thought.

His journey of redemption is beginning.

* * *

Three months have passed since Sasuke left Konoha. He stayed at several smaller villages and towns off the road, trying to interact with people and hear their stories. He even stopped to help people who dealt with natural disasters, or robberies. Usually he would pass by without a second glance and ignore these tragedies, but now he changed. He _felt the need_ to assist those who were in trouble. He felt responsible, and took it upon himself to help out where he could. It felt odd to do these things, mostly because it was a nostalgic feeling. A feeling he lost long ago. The possibility that he could _care_. The more he helped villagers and townspeople in their everyday lives, saving the injured, or protecting someones home, the more he felt himself changing. Feeling.

This being his journey of redemption, he took these nostalgic yet completely new feelings as a sign that he is letting go of his past. Moving on from it. He kept telling himself, ' _it's okay to let myself feel. I must explore these feelings._ '

As time dragged on, he became more familiar with himself. Came to know his abilities more, practically learning something new everyday. Soon started to know his limits in training. He felt very sure of himself, feeling proud to make these changes and a difference.

But a journey isn't without its horrors. Sasuke continues to have nightmares of his past, when his clan was massacred... His brother Itachi dead by his own hand... He felt unbelievable sadness that he learned would never really go away. As his journey stretched on, his nightmares never ceased, merely escalated. It haunted him, but he wouldn't let it interfere with his venture. He needed to look past his own horrors, his demons, to see the clearer picture.

About six months have passed since Sasuke left Konoha; he was passing through this very small village that consisted of farmers and families. He entered their market to purchase some food for the road, wanting to hurry and continue on his journey. As he waited in line, an elderly woman behind him tapped his shoulder,

"Oh my, aren't you handsome! You're not from around here are you, son? I can tell."

Sasuke nodded, "I am not from your village. I come from a village far away." Sasuke didn't want to share that he came from Konoha, he wanted to keep these details to himself.

The old woman smiled, "I bet you have a girl waiting for you back home. My, with a boy with your features, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised!" She chuckled.

Sasuke turned away from the old woman, thinking about what it mean't to have a 'home'. Is Konoha his home? Would anyone even want him in the village? He remained in thought, wondering what he'd do if that were to take place. He then thought about what the old woman said, about a girl waiting for him at home. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He didn't want to think about Sakura. Thinking about her made his head spin, and not in a good way. He only found her confusing, seeing as she remained to continue loving him after so many years, even after all the sins he committed. She remained there, for him. He didn't feel anything towards her, in a romantic way. He mainly felt indifferent, but when they parted months ago, he felt himself drawn to her. Sasuke couldn't pinpoint what it was, but he felt the need to not make her wait.

' _Waiting_ ,' Sasuke thought, _'was all Sakura has ever done. All because of me.'_

Sasuke furrowed his brow as he paid for his food. He placed them in his bag and left the market, making sure to say farewell to the old woman.

He didn't like thinking about Sakura, and didn't like the way she made him feel.

It made him feel too open, too vulnerable, too aware.

He knew he needed to understand it more, but continued to avoid it.

 _'Now is not the time. Right now, this journey is about me. I need to stay focused.'_

Sasuke closed his eyes, sighing heavily. He sat on a bench, writing on piece of paper. Later on, he summoned his hawk, ordering him to send a message to Naruto.

As he left the small village, he firmly cleared his mind, and continued on his journey of redemption.


	2. Chapter 2

**Writer's Note:**

 ***I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND ITS CHARACTERS AND STORY, NOTHING.***

 **Chapter 2**

As months went by, Sakura felt more and more longing for Sasuke's return. She knew he would take all the time he needed, and she accepted that. She just wished, as any other woman would have, for his speedy and safe return.

Most of her days were spent at the hospital, helping Tsunade with patients and assisting with surgeries. Tsunade was President of the hospital, and was grooming Sakura to be her successor. She needed Sakura to focus, as she noticed she was lost in thought often and she knew why. When they were back at Tsunade's office, Tsunade sat down and addressed Sakura,

"Sakura, I need you to concentrate. No point in worrying about someone like Sasuke. You know he will be alright."

Sakura blinked, nodding, "I know. I just have other things on my mind."

She was mostly thinking about Sasuke, as she has always done since they were Genin. As much as her love for him exceeded most, she still had to focus on work, which was her main worry.

"Tsunade, do you really think I can manage a hospital? I'm only 17…"

Sakura stared at her notes, pondering the thought. The idea of it just felt so overwhelming. If she became the new President of the hospital in the future, she knew she would be proud of herself. She just needed to work hard.

She held onto this motivation, knowing she would regret it if she passed up the opportunity to be recognized for her talents and her intelligence.

Tsunade watched her, letting Sakura figure this out for herself. She always did come up with her own resolve. Her input wasn't needed, so she stood up,

"Sakura, don't ask me stupid questions. You know the answers."

Sakura nodded. Sasuke was working hard on his journey and she needed to do the same. Right now, she needs to focus on her future in this hospital. Feeling rejuvenated, she followed Tsunade out of the room proceeding to continue her hard work.

* * *

Six months later, Sakura continued working at the hospital, steadily moving her way to become Tsunade's successor. She was already giving her own orders to the staff of the hospital, constantly checking on patients, making sure they were all diagnosed correctly all the while teaching other medical ninjas in her vicinity.

 _'I have to be a leader. I must prove I can do this.'_ Sakura was scanning through her current students' examinations of her patients, checking with the patients themselves to make sure her students were learning. She was constantly attending the hospitals patients and working on her paperwork to better the hospital. There was always work to be done and she was never left to her thoughts, which she appreciated.

It was nice to continue without constant thoughts of Sasuke. Working helped her stay focused and concentrated on what was in front of her rather than waste her time thinking about Sasuke returning her feelings. She needed to do this for herself. She needs to know that she can be strong for herself and for others.

Tsunade gave Sakura her own personal office to work on her documents. It wasn't as big as Tsunade's but it served its purpose.

Sakura was putting away documents in the files they belonged to before Naruto entered her office,

"Sakura! Thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing," Naruto flashed a happy grin at her. Sakura appreciated Naruto's visits, she was always working and Naruto would be there to make sure she was taking care of herself. Sakura smiled,

"Hey, Naruto. What brings you to my office?" Sakura chuckled as Naruto grinned wider, obviously preparing a surprise.

"I'm going to teach! I'm going to teach kids, isn't that great!? Me, teaching with Iruka-sensei! I was really surprised, but this work makes me happy." He took a seat in front of her, crossing his arms in confidence. Sakura clapped,

"Oh, that's great, Naruto! I'm glad you found something to keep yourself busy." She was truly happy for Naruto. Somehow him teaching the village's young ninjas didn't seem like a wrong decision at all. In fact, it suited him. She noticed how much the kids look up to him, constantly trying to play or learn from him. He is a good role-model, there could be no one better to teach. She stood up to give him a congratulatory hug, she was proud of him.

Naruto gave her a bear hug and slowly parted from it, "And you won't believe what else happened either!"

Sakura's eyes widened, "There's more? Well tell me!" She had her hands on her hips, waiting for him to continue. He looked away, blush showing on his cheeks,

"Hinata and I... Well, it happened so fast. She's my girlfriend now... It happened yesterday and I wanted to tell you as soon as I could, but I was busy... I just, I can't believe it. I'm really happy." Naruto smiled, and that smile told Sakura exactly how he felt. She returned his smile, proud of this result.

"I'm happy for you both! It's about time. I was wondering how much longer it would've been before you noticed her romantically." Sakura turned to sit back in her seat, chuckling as she did.

 _'I have to tackle Hinata later for the details!'_ She thought to herself, planning when to ambush Hinata, smiling at the idea.

Naruto blushed harder and looked away as if she didn't say something that piqued his interest, "Well, I just wanted you to know how my last few days have been, is all! But enough about me, how have you been?"

Naruto's tone turned serious now. Sakura didn't look up from her desk. Every time someone asked if she was well, she'd just feel more emotionally drained. Naruto's expression grew softer.

"Sakura, I came by today to also tell you that Sasuke sent me a note. He said that he would be returning soon, but didn't give a specific date. If I spot him, I'll come for you. That'll be the first thing I do." Naruto said it as a promise.

Sakura looked up at him, not knowing whether to feel really great, or not at all. She didn't like getting her hopes up. They always came crashing down. She knew better.

"Can I see the note...?" She asked, needing to see physical evidence of this. Naruto nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded paper. He opened it and handed it to her.

Sakura grabbed it, thinking twice before reading it. She needs to know if he's really coming. She looked at the note, it read,

 _'Naruto, I will return sometime soon._

 _...Let her know I'm fine.'_

Sakura read it over and over, until eventually she looked up at Naruto. Naruto shrugged, "He's referring to you, I think. I have to get going Sakura, I'll see you later and let you know if anything happens."

She nodded, speechless as Naruto exited her office. She sat there for what seemed like hours, staring at the note.

She went over the same scene in her head, his return and what she'd say to him. If Sasuke decided to go back out on his journey, she would go with him, no matter what.

She's willing to worry about the hospital after she's back. Sakura planned to leave with Sasuke, if it became the situation. She had to get ready, to prepare.

This time, she will be heard. She will go.

And he can't stop her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Writer's Note:**

 ***I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND ITS CHARACTERS AND STORY, NOTHING.***

 ****ALSO, its been about 9 months since Sasuke has left, so I'm just going with him leaving around April or May or whatever. Cool? Cool. In case you guys got confused.**

 **Chapter 3**

As January came, Sakura grew more and more discouraged. She was starting to think that Sasuke wouldn't return.

Ever since Naruto gave her the note three months ago, she was sure that Sasuke would have returned since then, but she was wrong. She should have known better.

Sakura was on her day off from the hospital. Thank goodness, too. She wasn't in any mood for work at all. She just wanted to stay home and curl up in her bed.

But she knew she couldn't stay cooped up. She needed some fresh air.

She moved out of her parent's house into her own apartment a month ago; she felt it was about time to have her own place. She needed her own space, her parents could be...parents. She was growing, and she needed to feel that and this was one of those things to do for that.

She walked out of her apartment, locking it up, thinking about all the things she had to do. She had to restock her fridge and take care of a few errands.

But first things first, she had to make a quick stop.

Sakura went to visit the local flower shop, where Ino worked. Sakura and Ino's friendship was something Sakura valued. Ino was her best friend and she cherished that. It was nice to have someone to talk to, especially since Sakura felt lonely often.

Sakura walked into Ino's flower shop. Sure enough, Ino was there watering her beloved flowers.

"Sakura! Hey, how're you holding up?" Ino greeted Sakura with a big hug. Sakura grinned happily. It really was nice to have a friend.

"Hey, Ino, just stopped by to grab some flowers. Do you have the ones I always buy?"

Sakura scanned the room, looking for white carnations and peony. Ino went to the back of the store, grabbing an already prepared bouquet,

"I found out today was your day off. So I went ahead and got this ready ahead of time. As usual, you always come here."

Ino said it in a gentle way, knowing full well what she does on her days off. Sakura beamed, feeling warmth inside. This is one of the things that made Sakura's heart flutter. Just the fact of anyone thinking of her or doing something for her always made her so happy. It was a way of letting Sakura know that everyone is watching her.

Sakura paid for the flowers, thanking and saying goodbye to Ino as she left her shop. She let Ino know how much she appreciated her consideration. It brightened her day...

Ever since the war ended, Sakura made it a an important part of her life to visit the village graveyard. As a medical ninja, she needed to do this to feel more at peace with herself. They lost many people during the war: friends, family... It hurt the village. She didn't want to forget the faces of those she couldn't save. The lives lost gave her strength to push herself harder, to focus on not to lose any more lives. She wanted to remember these lives.

Sakura entered the graveyard, making sure to visit every grave, leaving one white carnation and one peony on each one. The last graves she visited were Neji's and the Uchiha's. Sakura still couldn't believe Neji was gone. They never had much contact with one another, but growing up together is what made them friends. It's what made everyone friends. She left flowers on his grave, and prayed. Making a note to visit Hinata when she can.

Sakura then approached Sasuke's parents' graves. She always left flowers for them whenever she could. It was something she felt she had to do for Sasuke while he'd been gone all this time. So, she took it upon herself to do so, praying for their souls to rest, and for Sasuke to return home.

She stood up and stared at the names engraved in their stone, wondering if Sasuke is okay. She grew more impatient every minute of every day, hoping Sasuke would reappear. But he never did.

Sakura felt tears swell up around her eyes, feeling miserable. She felt so alone, she didn't know what to do about it. She would speak or spend time with friends, her family, but they couldn't fill up this void that formed in her heart. It just kept growing bigger and worsened her health mentally and physically. Everyone saw it. Everyone always worries over her, but she cannot help how she feels about Sasuke. And she hates herself for it. She wishes these feelings went away, but this is what it felt like to love someone, and it will stay with her forever. It felt like a curse to her, constantly flooded with thoughts of a man that didn't even pay her any mind.

She tried to wipe her tears away, but they wouldn't stop. This pain was too real, this aching that never ceased since it started so many years ago. She couldn't hold it in any more. She collapsed to her knees in front of the Uchiha's graves. Her legs couldn't support her anymore. She felt like she was being crumpled to dust, that the pain was going to kill her like it always felt it would. But death never came. She was so overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn't stop crying for the longest time.

She just couldn't handle it anymore.

* * *

As January hit, Sasuke knew he wouldn't hear the end of it from Naruto. He had just arrived back to Konoha, making his way to the Hokage's office. As he let himself in, Kakashi was sitting down filling out what seemed to be a never-ending pile of paperwork.

"Ah, so you've finally returned I see," Kakashi stood up to greet Sasuke back to the village, "So, are you staying, or visiting?"

Sasuke thought about it before arriving to back to the village, whether or not to continue his journey. And he decided that it wasn't finished. He still needed to see the world, to understand himself better. He took a second to gather his thoughts.

"I'm only visiting. I will leave again in a weeks time." Sasuke's response was as calm and collected as usual. Kakashi was starting to wonder, hoping he would reconsider staying longer. But he knew he couldn't interfere with what Sasuke wanted.

Kakashi sighed heavily, "Then you better prepare for that discussion."

He took a stride back to his desk and sat back down, continuing on his paperwork. Without looking up he said, "Now go out and say hi to everyone. I'm sure they'd be happy to see you."

Sasuke nodded, leaving his office.

* * *

Before meeting with anyone, he wanted to visit his parent's graves. He made his way quickly to the village graveyard. As he passed many of the fallen, he noticed fresh hand-picked flowers were placed on every one. He continued, and heard what he thought sounded like sobbing, coming from his parent's resting grounds.

As he approached, he turned to find Sakura crying in front of his parents. He had no idea how to react, seeing as Sakura wasn't stopping, and didn't notice his presence. He stood there, patiently waiting for her to finish. He didn't know how to respond and he wasn't about to make a wrong move. So he decided it was best to wait. As he waited, he noticed the flowers on their graves and realized Sakura was the one who placed them. Why she was crying, he had not the slightest clue, but he knew it had something to do with him. He furrowed his brow, lost in his thoughts and annoyed at how long Sakura took to finish crying.

That's what he always told her, it practically became his every response. That she was just annoying. He thought about it deeply, figuring it out slowly.

He's always seen her as annoying, probably because she was always expressing her feelings so openly for the whole world to see. He couldn't understand that, or figure out why. When he looked at her, he only saw a labyrinth that he couldn't walk out of. A very emotional labyrinth.

Sakura's cries soon reduced to sniffling. Sasuke took this as his opportunity to make his presence known. He took a step forward, making Sakura jump at the sound. Sakura quickly stood up, hastily trying to wipe and cover up her tears. But she knew it did her no good. He definitely stood there for awhile.

It took Sakura a moment to digest that Sasuke was right in front of her. As soon as it hit her, she flashed such a radiant smile at him without even thinking twice. It was Sasuke, he's back. She couldn't contain how happy she was.

"Sasuke! W-when did you get back?"

Sasuke, on the other hand, was puzzled as always at her reactions whenever she saw him. His face, however, never showed that. His face was always calm, never showing an ounce of emotion. Internally, however, no one could ever make him feel more confused than Sakura ever could. It's downright ridiculous.

Sakura felt embarrassed being caught where she was, crying. She suddenly felt self-conscious, and shuffled her feet in place, wondering what to do or what to even say.

Sasuke took a step towards her, trying to think on his feet.

"Thank you... For the flowers." Sasuke never tore his eyes away from Sakura's.

This definitely didn't help her nerves. His intense eyes just made her squirm inside, wracking her brain to speak.

"I-it's-you're welcome. I-it was nothing. I just kept everything neat since...since you left."

Sasuke turned to look at his parents, and knelt down to give his respects.

Sakura stood, questions flooding her mind.

 _'HOW LONG DID HE STAND THERE, WHAT DO I SAY, WHY DIDN'T HE COME BACK SOONER, HE BETTER GET HIS NEW ARM FROM TSUNADE, JUST WHAT THE-I'M GOING TO KILL HIM.'_

Sakura internally huffed. But all the same, she was happy to see him. So happy. His presence alone made it all go away. She just wished...

Her thoughts were interrupted as he rose back on his feet. Sasuke looked at her, never losing eye contact.

"Thank you..."

He then paused, wondering what he should say next. Talking to Sakura was a lot harder than he anticipated. Anything he said would be taken out of context if he didn't say it clearly, carefully, and honestly. But all he could say was just thank you. He couldn't find any words that best said what he felt.

Sakura smiled, more relaxed. Thanking her was all he ever said to her that didn't sting. It actually made her feel like he really did appreciate her, and this was his only way of saying it.

"You're welcome. Have you settled and put your things back at your house or did you just arrive? I can go with you...?" Sakura closed one eye, preparing for rejection, but instead, Sasuke responded differently.

"...If you like." Sasuke then turned around to walk in the direction of his home. Sakura's eyes widened, taking it all in. She glowed, catching up with Sasuke.

They both walked beside each other, in silence. Sasuke appreciated the comfortable silence, and so did Sakura.

Neither of them could say anything...

And somehow, that felt nice.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As Sasuke and Sakura continued their walk, the silence between them allowed them time to ponder.

Sasuke made up his mind to not continue the conversation any further. He wanted to reach his house and rest before meeting with Naruto. Sakura, on the other hand, wanted to tell him all about her progress in the hospital and things that happened during the time of his absence. She had so much to share with him, but she doubted he'd be interested. There were many things Sasuke didn't care for and she didn't want to speak in fear of that harsh reminder. So she just remained silent. She could tell Sasuke was grateful for that, too.

Usually silence made her uncomfortable, but Sasuke has always been a man of few words. Additionally, Sasuke's presence made her feel more at ease, comfortable, safe… With Sasuke, she didn't feel her usual impulse to fill the silence. Silence, she noticed, was probably one of the things she admired about him. He always observed his surroundings, and was mostly deep in thought. That's what makes him so mysterious to her. It made her want to know more about him, but of course, Sasuke doesn't share his thoughts nor his feelings when asked.

Because of Sasuke, silence wasn't so scary. She grew to enjoy it as their walk brought them closer to their destination.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura, noticing slight changes about her. He sensed how much stronger she's grown, ' _because of all her work at the hospital, perhaps?'_

As minutes passed, and their mutual contentment of silence continued, Sasuke wondered why Sakura hasn't tried to fill him in on what has happened while he was away. Usually she'd be fumbling over her words, but not today.

As they approached Sasuke's home, Sakura stood behind Sasuke as he opened his front door. She was preparing to say farewell, as she assumed that was the plan. As Sasuke walked inside, he placed his pack on the floor beside his couch in the living room, pulling off his cloak. Sakura stood in the doorway, staring at Sasuke's arm.

' _Did it heal properly..? It must have… I hope so.'_

Sasuke turned to hang his cloak in his room, returning to find Sakura still standing in his doorway. To be brutally honest, he expected her to have gone already.

"Sakura… I will see you later." His face didn't change or give way to any emotion if there was any to express.

Upon hearing this, she was extremely disappointed, but not surprised.

' _Of course, how could I forget. This is my cue to leave. Silly me.'_

And there it was, that familiar, painful tug at her heartstrings that she loathed so much. Now she regretted not speaking to him at all. What a wasted opportunity. She stood in place for a few moments, trying to gather some kind of response.

"Sasuke, I know this is sudden, but... Can I please take a look at your arm? I want to make sure it healed properly..."

Sasuke didn't hesitate to approach her and reveal to her what remained of his injured arm. Sakura was taken aback, but quickly placed her hand on it, chakra flowing through her to her palm. She was checking for any sign of infection, but it turned out that his arm was completely fine. She sighed in relief, not noticing she was holding her breath. She looked at Sasuke, serious now.

"Sasuke, could you please come by the hospital later? During the Afternoon? I would like to give you your new arm, please..."

She didn't know how he'd respond, but more than anything she hoped he would say yes to her request.

Sasuke could only stare at her. He always knew she would ask him this. He watched her tend to his arm, watched her concentrate so hard, making sure he was truly alright. Then he noticed she held her breath. She will always fret over him, he discovered. But... The least he could do was follow her request. He nodded, hoping that was all she really needed from him.

Sakura sighed again, in relief. She stepped outside, "Bye, Sasuke... Please come by."

With that she walked away from his house, not looking back as she did so. She had to prepare herself at the hospital to get his arm ready.

Sasuke watched Sakura walk away, seeing the bounce in her walk. He could feel her determination to help him. At that moment he grew to admire that about her. How headstrong she always was. There was a lot of things he admired about her that he wasn't well aware of. But he always silently felt proud of her growth.

* * *

Sasuke closed his door, and sat down in his couch, sighing in comfort. He looked up and stared at the ceiling.

He's done a lot of horrible things in his past. Looking back now, he doesn't know how to feel, or how to mend the aftermath of what he's done. The feeling of it all is so overwhelming. He thought about how his whole life from the very beginning, was put forth on a path to destruction. All because he didn't know the truth. He spent his life looking for revenge on Itachi, only to find out what really happened and losing a brother in the process. And in his pain and anger, took it all out on the village that started it all. He still carries this anger and pain with him every day, trying to calm it. But it's so hard to forget the trauma and pain he's endured to this point. But after battling with Naruto, it gave him... _hope_ that he had a chance, that he could be saved. He just needed...time.

* * *

Later on, Sasuke went out to meet with Naruto. He had heard that he would be at the school, teaching the village's younger ninjas. Now, when Sasuke heard this he thought he heard it wrong, but it turned out to be true as he entered the campus grounds and saw Naruto playing soccor with the kids.

Somehow, he could see why this job suited Naruto.

Naruto caught a glimpse of Sasuke across the field and waved, bursting with energy, "Sasuuukkeeeee!"

Sasuke slowly approached Naruto and his students. Naruto told the kids to go on home, waving goodbye to them all. He turned, broadening his smile.

"I heard you came back! How was your journey?" Naruto wiped his face on his shirt, covered in sweat.

Sasuke smirked, "It's not over, if that's what you're asking." He waited for Naruto to drink water and catch his breath.

Naruto half-heartedly smiled, "I figured. Have you told Sakura? She... Well, you know."

Naruto hung his towel behind his neck, smiling fondly at the thought of Sakura's face brightening at the mere sight of Sasuke. He tried to help Sakura get through the past several months, knowing full well how she felt. He's been worried, watching her get sadder by the day. He voiced his concerns with Hinata, who felt the same, but reassured Naruto that she's headstrong. She told him to believe in her, that she will get by. Naruto agreed, reminded of why he loved Hinata. She always knew what to say with her gentle voice.

He turned to Sasuke, waiting for a response, but didn't get none. He sighed, "Sasuke... She's been...really sad lately. I'm not asking you to return her feelings. But... you should talk to her more. Her thoughts and prayers have always followed you." Naruto trailed off, not sure how to express this without making it sound like a guilt trip. He didn't want to pressure Sasuke into doing anything. It would lose meaning if Sasuke didn't act on his own.

Sasuke closed his eyes, facing the floor. He remained quiet, not responding to Naruto. Instead, he turned to exit the campus.

"H-hey! I'm serious!" Naruto yelled after him, catching up.

Sasuke didn't wait for him and continued walking, "...I know."

Naruto, puzzled by his response, asked, "Where are you going..?"

Without looking at him, Sasuke sighed in annoyance, "I promised her I would visit the hospital..."

Naruto's face lit up, but tried to hide it, "Oh, well, tell her hi for me! I'll meet with you guys later! I should probably hit the showers, haha!"

With that, Naruto said farewell on the way, hoping Sasuke will behave while visiting Sakura. If he says anything...

 _'He better be nice.. I don't know what'll happen if she snaps.'_ Naruto shivered at the thought. He definitely doesn't want to be there if that happens.

At that, he hurried home, thinking of his later plans with Hinata.

* * *

Sasuke was annoyed at constantly being reminded of Sakura. He wanted to avoid it, but it seemed inevitable. He just cannot escape her no matter where he goes. He just couldn't understand why he was badgered every time about her. He's aware of her feelings, but didn't feel obligated to seek any kind of relationship past their current one. No one can just let it be and accept that. Everyone certainly feels that they should 'push' him towards her, but he wasn't anywhere near ready to have that kind of relationship. He just wish it was left alone, but he knows it never will be. A part of him blames Sakura for her incessant feelings for him. He always thought it was just her infatuation going obsessive, but he knew deep down her feelings...matured. He knows...feels it. It's different than how it felt years ago. Her feelings before weren't as strong and full as they are now. He just wish she wasn't into _him_.

Sasuke exhaled, suddenly feeling tired.

 _'The sooner I leave, the better it will be for the both of us.'_

Sasuke arrived and stood a few feet from the entrance that lead inside the hospital.

He contemplated going inside.

Or leaving altogether.


	5. Chapter 5

**NOTE:** Hey everyone, I hope you guys like my story so far. I know it develops slowly. Part of it is probably because I usually write reallllyyyyy late in the night lol. I only seem to write when I'm tired. Anyway, enjoy!

 **Chapter 5**

Sakura spent most of the early part of the day prepping for Sasuke to arrive. Tsunade went and got everything set up for the process, knowing how important this was to Sakura. When she waltzed in on her day off, she knew. They all knew. Tsunade was hoping Sasuke would spend some time with Sakura, so she could...feel more at ease. It's what she needed to give her strength somehow. Once everything was fully prepared, they all just waited for Sasuke's arrival.

Sakura paced around the hospital, back and forth. Her mind elsewhere. No one interfered with her train of thought knowing how nervous she was feeling. Sakura was excited beyond belief, feeling a wave of severe thrill over his return. She was _so_ happy. She couldn't sit still, or work on something to keep herself focused, she just could not wait for Sasuke to come. But usually what follows happiness isn't good. Sakura was already filled with so many doubts. What if Sasuke didn't come? What if he lied? She just couldn't handle that. She remained constantly on edge.

She eventually went near the entrance and just threw herself onto a small armchair in the waiting area. She was so tired. She felt so...horrible. She leaned forward, hand over her face. She sighed, feeling so drained, so fed up. She really hopes that Sasuke will do this, the one thing she asked for. Sakura knows that her request was probably not Sasuke's top priority. But..she had a small trickle of hope left. To her, anything Sasuke did for her or anybody that was nice or even thoughtful could make her swoon on cloud nine.

As she sat, she started to notice she wasn't feeling too well. How long was she feeling like this? She felt extreme fatigue and she was breathing heavily. She just knew something was wrong. She cursed herself under her breath... She got up, trying to support herself... As soon as she let go of her chair, her vision blurred, she saw shapes, felt warmth.

And then it grew dark.

* * *

Sasuke stood outside, trying to decide whether or not to enter the hospital. As he stood, he could see inside through the glass doors and windows. He noticed Sakura pacing back and forth relentlessly. Until finally, she sat down. He watched her, thinking of how much she cared. And began to wonder if he would ever feel that strongly towards anyone. To Sasuke, it seemed absolutely impossible. At least currently. But he thought about it, and assumed that maybe in time he'll learn what it will feel like to have these emotions. He forced himself all this time to be the embodiment of apathy. And only recently began to slowly learn what it felt like to feel... _anything._

A few minutes passed, and he felt something wrong. He brought his attention back to Sakura, noticing her grimace. Without stopping to think, he ran inside, catching Sakura as she was about to collapse. He caught her perfectly in his right arm, his thoughts bouncing wild in his mind.

"Sakura?" He spoke louder than he usually would have. He shook her gently, trying to keep her awake, to get a response. But she was out like a light.

He called for the nurses, and asked them to summon Tsunade. The nurses hurried over to fetch her as he remained knelt on the ground, Sakura limp in his arm. He slowly shifted his body as to not have her head dangling, to attempt to keep her more comfortable.

...Sasuke silently, reluctantly, wished he had his artificial arm.

A minute or two passed before Tsunade arrived, "Oh, dear, what happened? She fainted at the sight of you, did she?"

Sasuke scowled. Now was not the _time_.

Tsunade got the hint and rolled her eyes, "I knew this would happen to her eventually, the way she's been... Oi, you! Fetch a bed, we have to carry her to a private room."

Tsunade was yelling orders to a few nurses, trying to get everything in motion. As they came back with a bed, Sasuke helped lift Sakura and followed them all. They went up to the top floor of the building, quickly moving her to a room. Sasuke waited for half an hour until he was permitted to enter. Tsunade stood beside Sakura, sighing.

"She's been skipping meals and working so hard since you left. How she got by, I have no idea. But she did it. But now it all caught up with her. Poor thing. Let her rest. Right now, that's all she needs," Tsunade walked past Sasuke to walk through the doorway but abruptly paused, "you're welcome to wait for her."

As he watched her leave and close the door, Sasuke stood there in disbelief. He absolutely refuses to be the cause of her declining health. He walked to the window, looking out. He was seething with silent rage; by what he wasn't so sure himself. He just knew Sakura was very... _annoying._ He wouldn't move away from the window. He could only stand there, scowling. He didn't even know where to begin! Everyone seems to be more worried about Sakura than they are about him. He's more than just aware of Sakura, he knows she wasn't feeling well to begin with emotionally and physically, as everyone continued to remind him! Why doesn't anyone want to know what he wants? Whether he was happy or not? **Why** is he responsible for **_her_**? He just couldn't understand what people wanted from him. As far as he's concerned, they don't care about him, that they just want him to make Sakura happy. Which added another question to mind: How could he even make her happy? What about him could ever bring her happiness? He found it so stupid, so fucking unbelievable, how-he just couldn't see how!

Then it hit him. That familiar void in his chest, this emptiness... No one ever cared about him, and he never expected them to. It was only Sakura that he could recognize as someone who truly cared... Ugh! He turned away from the window, taking a look at her.

He took a seat beside her, staring at her face. He could tell she was exhausted. Sighing in frustration, he leaned back in his chair and put his only hand over his face. After awhile he couldn't stand being in the room. He went out, searching for Tsunade. He went straight to her office, still upset. He opened her office door without bothering to knock. She stood up, getting upset for the sudden interruption.

"I'm ready to receive my new arm." Sasuke couldn't hide the anger in his voice. He just wanted to get it over with and leave the hospital.

Tsunade scoffed, "You think you can just demand things whenever you want to? What's wrong with you?" She leaned on her desk, demanding an answer.

Sasuke closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing, "I would like my arm, please. Then I'll be on my way." His response was more calm now.

Tsunade sighed, "On one condition."

Sasuke squinted. _'What would that be I wonder?'_

Sure enough his assumption was correct.

"You must wait for Sakura to wake. It's the least you can do before leaving." And with that, Tsunade escorted him to a room where she could perform the process.

* * *

It took an hour before his artificial arm was...well _his_.

He went to Sakura's room, and sat down beside her, as he apparently promised. He stretched out his new left arm, adjusting to it. He was used to not having his left arm and now it felt odd to even have one. He leaned into his chair, deep in thought. He knew he should have just left the village when he had the chance. Now, that chance is gone. Now he's wondering if he'll ever escape.

* * *

Sakura passed out for two days.

During that time, he made sure to...take care of her, and watch over her. Reluctantly, of course. Over that amount of time, however, he remembered Sakura nursing him back to health so long ago. She never left his side, making sure he was alright. She fed him, checked his temperature, the whole nine yards. Felt weird that their roles were now reversed for a time.

As much as he'd rather be doing other things, he did...care about her well-being. Sasuke is a very patient man; he knew to prepare to wait a few days for Sakura to gain back her strength. But he wondered what he should say when she woke. Should he ask if she felt fine? Maybe that should be it.

It was late when Sakura woke up. She slowly opened her eyes, her vision clear again. She looked at the ceiling, then supported herself on her elbows to scan the room.

Sasuke fell asleep in his chair, his left arm supporting his head as he leaned on her bedside. Sakura blinked, then yawned. She must be dreaming. Sasuke, here, waiting for her? He didn't really take care of her did he? Sakura rubbed her eyes and sat upright. She sighed heavily, her body still fatigued. She felt weak...she didn't like the way that felt.

She took a look at him, taking notice of his new arm. She smiled from relief. She sat there for a good while, watching him. He must've hated her, she thought. She was also disappointed in not being the one who gave him his arm but, oh well, that was ultimately her fault. She yawned again, leaning forward. She reached for him, to wake him and let him know she's okay now. She's wasted enough of his time...

She gently took a small hold of his left hand that was supporting him. She shook him gently, whispering his name, "Sasuke, it's me..."

Sasuke woke up almost immediately. She jumped, surprised at his fast response. Her room was dark, and she saw Sasuke's eyes gleam from the moonlight that poured in. His eyes reminded her so much of the night sky. Her expression softened, and she smiled fondly taking in his presence.

"Hi, Sasuke... Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you... I just wanted to tell you I was okay now..." She whispered shyly.

Sasuke looked at her, and was taken aback by her radiance. She glowed in the moonlight. It shone on her pale skin, her emerald eyes sparkling. She smiled, and her smile was so full of... _love_. He almost flinched. Her smile reminded him of his mothers whenever she saw him. It was then that he recognized how much she truly loved him. He was so overwhelmed by the realization, he wasn't sure how to act, or what to say next. All he could say was...

"...How are you feeling?" He asked, serious. As much as he was internally confused, he did care enough to want to know about her condition. And he found that so...different. Him, curious about another's health and well-being. How...odd.

Sakura's eyes widened, not expecting that response, "I-I'm feeling better. I still feel a little weak but I'll be fine.." She smiled, trying to reassure him if he needed it...?

Sasuke's face remained calm, and didn't lose eye contact. He only slightly nodded, glad that she was alright. That's what she assumed anyway.

She looked away from Sasuke's intense eye contact before facing him again, "You... can go home now. I'm sorry to have bothered you... or worried you... I'm okay now.."

Sasuke looked away. He waited for her to wake up for so long, waiting all this time to leave. But he didn't feel the need to leave anymore. He suddenly felt like...he should _stay._ At least until she was fully well. He just...didn't feel the need to leave her now. He sighed, wondering how to respond.

"...I'll stay. Until you're fully better. You should rest more.." He spoke calmly, but in a way that she could hear the difference from his usual cool tone. It almost sounded like he was reassuring her. It felt so...weird to her. All the same, her heart fluttered. She was wondering if he really did care about her, but she doubted that. He was probably forced to. Hah, of course he was... She smiled, taking a more direct response.

"As much as I'd love for you to be here with me... I'm sure you'd rather continue your travels.. You should go." Why she was saying this, she had no idea and she was mentally kicking herself. Why would she say this, how on earth would she pass up another opportunity yet again? She then closed her eyes, taking the time to enjoy the warmth he made her feel. She knows how much she loves him, and that meant that she knew better than to hold him back... Her crooked smile reaching the corner of her lips. She loved...this feeling so much. She wished she could hold onto it forever, but she knew that loving Sasuke...It just wasn't meant to be.

Sasuke stared at her intensely. Didn't she love him? He sat there, thinking very hard. He could feel how hurt she was, right in front of him. He could tell she was feeling...pain. He knew pain, every bit of pain known to man. But her pain was different, and he knew that, but it didn't mean he understood it. But she made him feel differently than other people. He probably made her feel so many bundled emotions; no wonder she's an emotional wreck. He brushed his hand through his hair, in thought. As much as he hated to admit it, he...felt that he cared about her more than he would have liked. He...wanted to stay. She was the whole reason he even bothered to have come back before a year had passed... But he wouldn't have admitted that to anyone or even himself.

He brought his attention back to her, "...Do as I asked. Rest." He wasn't in the mood for further discussion and definitely not open to argue with her.

Sakura was confused. She stared at Sasuke, confusion all over her face and he just motioned his hand for her to hurry. She tried to say something, to get a real answer out of him but he stopped her before she could. He tapped her on the forehead,

"I'll see you later. Don't argue." With that, she could've sworn she saw him smirk, but it was too dark to really tell. She sighed and scooted herself back beneath her blankets, still confused.

All Sakura could really do was blush beneath her sheets. However, her exhaustion overtook her in a manner of minutes. Once Sasuke was sure she was fast asleep, he, too, tried to get some sleep. He returned to his initial resting position. Leaning on his arm against her bedside, he stared at her sleeping face for what seemed like an eternity before sleep took him.

In his last minutes of being awake, all that was running through his mind was her even breathing. Somehow, it was calming to him. Before he fell asleep, a small smirk broke at the corner of his lips.

How... _annoying_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Quick Note:** Thank you everyone for your reviews, they really do help encourage me to update more often! Please keep cheering me on! I'll do my best! (;u; )

 **Chapter 6**

After a few more days passed, Sakura was feeling much better. She couldn't figure out how she went on for so long feeling that terrible. She was also feeling happier and happier as days went by during her recovery. Sasuke was there the entire time. He left for a time to run some of his personal errands a few times but he always came back, and that more than anything mean't so much to her. He would sometimes bring her something to eat, although he would say it was Naruto or Ino who gave him the meal to hand to her. She didn't believe it for one second.

During her recovery, Sasuke noticed her brighten up more and more. Her positive energy and happy smile was absolutely contagious. He couldn't help smirking a few times while he was with her. Whenever she was awake, she shared some of her ideas for the hospital and told him what had happened while he was away. He listened to her carefully, and...complimented her, barely, for her ideas. They were good ones. She wanted to add an extension to the hospital that would specialize in helping children that underwent severe trauma. A space strictly for children and children psychologists.

"...You inspired me to come up with this plan. You probably guessed that but, I wanted to tell you myself. I want to prevent children from being left alone to their own nightmares. I want them to know there are people who care, and that they matter..." She avoided his gaze, nervous of what he was thinking. His face didn't change though, as per usual.

Sasuke took a moment to think about what she said. He wasn't exactly sure how to feel about it. She thought about his past, his experiences, and hardships to come up with this plan to help other and future kids who went through their own individual tragedies. If anything, he probably felt...proud. And slightly...flattered.

Sakura also didn't forget to tell him about Naruto and Hinata. She couldn't stop gushing over their relationship, mentioning how nice Naruto was to Hinata, taking her out to eat and buying her gifts... She was so happy for them, but at the same time she was just as jealous. If only she could find that relationship with someone. Sasuke, on the other hand, was completely disgusted by it. Mainly about couples in general. He only half-listened when she brought up this topic. He literally couldn't give a damn about this kind of thing. But for Sakura it was something she wanted, least from what he could tell from the way she was talking about their 'blooming love' for one another. However, it made him feel sick and uncomfortable. He didn't feel the need for a significant other. It just wasn't a priority.

When Sakura was finally released, she finally got to go out and about. However, she dreaded this day ever since she first woke up. She wondered if Sasuke would leave to continue his journey. It was real likely he would. As they both left the hospital during the day, Sakura was prepared. She knew this was coming and she was ready for it.

As Tsunade scolded Sakura for not taking better care of herself, she was glad she was alright. She also thanked Sasuke for staying as long as he did. As they said goodbye, Sasuke turned to Sakura, to tell her what he had to. He was planning to leave that night. He spent too much time in the village and felt it most appropriate to leave as soon as possible. But before he could say anything, Sakura interrupted him.

"I'm going with you." She spoke seriously, determined to get her way. She was going to go with him whether he liked it or not.

Sasuke was irritated now. this wasn't some vacation where her dreams would all come true. He was not about to let this happen.

"No."

"You can't tell me what to do! _I will go with you!_ " She took a step towards him, determined to get her point across. She could handle herself.

She aggravated him now. He couldn't believe the audacity! This was **_his_** journey. As far as he was concerned, she didn't have _any_ say. The nerve!

He scoffed, "I told you this was a journey of redemption for me. This is important. You have no say in this. I refuse to discuss it any further."

He turned around, walking away angrily. How selfish could she be? He went as far as to stay with her for the duration that it took for her to fully recover and she thought she could just 'seize' this opportunity? He was so angry. She could never understand why he needed this. He was done.

Sakura, bewildered, wasn't about to give up. She caught up with him, "It's not what you think!"

Sasuke stopped to look at her. His expression alone told her he didn't believe that.

Sakura sighed in frustration, "I know that you know about my feelings towards you... But I'm trying to tell you that that's not what my intentions are! I want to travel the world to study and broaden my ambition to better the hospital here in Konoha. I also want to take the time to study children's behaviors in other regions. Please, believe me... I probably should have mentioned the thought, and brought it up differently... Please understand. I know better than to intervene with your trip, but I figured that maybe it'd be better to travel together. Perhaps me being there will help.."

She couldn't finish what was on her mind. She wanted this so badly. She knew he would never return her feelings, but she could at least take this opportunity to journey far to help her research.

Sasuke sighed, feeling more than exhausted. He wanted so badly to be left alone to do something he himself felt the need to. And all that time he kept thinking how annoying she really was. He didn't know what to say. He never knew what to say. This was too much. She was crossing a line. He shook his head, at a loss for words.

"Please, I can handle myself. I won't bother you, I promise!" She was desperate.

Sasuke took a long, deep breath to calm himself down. He took a minute to process all of this, to ultimately decide. As much as he didn't want her there, there was a very small, insignificant, part of him that wanted her there. He weighed the pros and cons to both results and all he could do was shake his head.

 _'I am going to regret this. This will bite me in the ass when I least expect it.'_

He stood firmly on his feet, digging his hands into his pockets from being agitated. As usual, this was absolutely ridiculous. But..he couldn't risk her following him if he refuses. That would make a complete mess of things. She could stumble across the wrong people, she could...there was just a lot of things that could go wrong. And he didn't plan putting his journey on hold to clean up her mess that followed. He averted the expectant look in her eyes,

"...If you bother me or hinder my trip in any way, I will bring you back myself." He said it so harshly that she flinched from his absolute crass.

All she could do was nod. She got what she wanted. Her expression was so full of motivation, so full of hope...

"Meet me by the gates by 7pm. I won't wait for you."

He ended the conversation, leaving as he finished. Sakura stood there, stuck in place.

She's going to travel with Sasuke.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sakura hurried to her apartment to start packing! She immediately went home and grabbed her traveling pack, making sure to pack everything she needed from clothes to food to first aid kits and medicine. She packed and put on more comfortable clothes for the road since she doesn't know how long she'll really be out on their journey. After about an hour or two before she was satisfied with her 'light' packing, she made point to visit everyone to say goodbye.

Her first visit was to the Hokage's office of course. She had to report that she was going to leave the village for awhile. As she entered, Kakashi was sitting down catching up with Naruto. How convenient!

"Sakura! I see you're doing just fine. You had us both worried all week." Kakashi stood up and greeted her with a wave while Naruto gave her a hug.

"Yeah, we thought you'd be sleeping forever like... that one fairytale!" Naruto laughed jokingly. Sakura rolled her eyes; he can't even remember the tale's title.

"Well I'll have you know that I am perfectly fine now. And I come with important news..." She took on a more serious tone for this discussion because it's important and felt she would probably have to fight her way verbally to get permission.

Kakashi and Naruto patiently waited for her to continue, both mentally preparing for her news.

"I... I'm going to be travelling with Sasuke. I've already finished packing, and after I get your permission I will inform Tsunade." She didn't lose eye contact with Kakashi, making it known with her determined expression alone that she was serious.

Naruto's eyes widened, "Sakura... Are you sure?" Naruto was hesitant with letting her go alone with Sasuke. The last time she went off on her own after him, he made an attempt on her life. As much as he loved his best friend, he couldn't forget _that_ time. It's probably one of the things he still hasn't forgiven him for.

Sakura read Naruto's mind immediately, "Naruto... He's different. I'll be safe. Plus, I can pack a punch!" She playfully bumped Naruto on his right shoulder with a closed fist.

Naruto grinned, "Just make sure to visit. Unlike Sasuke, I'm sure you'll get homesick eventually."

Kakashi sighed, "You have my permission, Sakura. As Naruto said, stop by when you can, and try to keep us updated. We at least would like to know you're safe."

Sakura smiled so wide she couldn't hide it. Both Naruto and Kakashi returned her smile, praising her for her courage to do this. She stayed for about an hour, discussing why she was going, making sure to tell Kakashi the details of her research. He complimented her for this idea, letting her know she has his full support. Naruto, as well, was very impressed. After she finished up, she said goodbye, giving hugs all around.

She then visited Tsunade. She assumed it might be harder to tell Tsunade being the way she is... She entered her office only to find Tsunade drunk, with Shizune fussing over her carefree drinking habit. This was probably the one time she was grateful to find Tsunade drunk in her office, so she made sure to give the details to Shizune. While Sakura was at it, she also gave Shizune a concoction of her herbal refreshments she made herself to help get Tsunade sober. Before leaving, she hugged Tsunade, and said farewell. Sakura left, hoping Tsunade wouldn't go hard on Shizune once she was sober enough to understand her absence.

Last but not least, she visited her friends and her parents. Ino could't believe it! She made Sakura cough up the details and that took a good chunk out of Sakura's time. She told Ino she had to visit her parents before meeting with Sasuke.

"You better send me notes and letters, girl! I can't wait to hear from you already!" Ino laughed, excited for Sakura. She secretly hoped they would find love on this trip, or at least get to know one another better. Ino's hopes and prayers went with Sakura, hoping she would be alright out there.

Sakura then said goodbye and made her way to her parent's home. Once she arrived, she opened the front door with her spare key.

"Mom, Dad? Are you home?" She yelled through the house.

"Yes, yes, I'm in the kitchen! You should've let us know you were coming, honey!" That was Sakura's mom. Sakura smiled, knowing full well she'll miss them.

She explained to her mother about the trip. Her father was out with friends, so her mother will have to pass on the information for her. Sakura's mother couldn't take her eyes off her daughter. She was so proud of her for taking the initiative to do this for the village. She was so touched, she told Sakura she had her and her father's support no matter what. A noble ambition is one she could get behind.

After a good while of spending time with her mother, her father came home. Sakura and her mother then informed him of the situation, and he was behind her the whole way. Sakura was grateful for their support and their acceptance. Deep down, she knew they were a little sad she was leaving, but her parents knew this was important to her.

As soon as Sakura spared enough time to spend with her parents, she had to go get her things and meet up with Sasuke soon.

She hugged and kissed her parents goodbye and headed to her home. She grabbed her things, put on her travelling coat, and was ready. She felt confident in herself and in her goal for the village hospital. But deep down she was also happy.

This time, she won't have to wait anymore.

* * *

Sasuke didn't need to prepare for his journey. It wasn't as if he had much to carry. He only brought rations and a small amount of clothes including his travelling cloak.

He spent the rest of his time at home. He did visit his parent's resting grounds for awhile, to pay his respects before he departed. After doing so he went back home. He decided to just take a nap until it was time. He honestly had nothing else to do. He already had notified Naruto and Kakashi about his depart, but he did not inform them of Sakura. He knew she would do it herself. No need to waste his time going over there.

A few hours into his nap, a loud knock came from his front door. He stood up to see who came to visit him.

"Saaassuuukkkeee!"

Of course it was Naruto. Sasuke put a hand over his face; what did he want now?

He opened the door, "What's up, Naruto?"

Naruto helped himself into Sasuke's house, "Why didn't you tell me you were taking Sakura with you?"

Sasuke figured Naruto was upset, "...She confronted me this morning, demanding to go with me. So... I said yes."

Naruto was hoping for more to go on than just that, but he knew it was probably Sakura who forced her way in. He shook his head,

"Why are you letting her go? If you can give me one good reason, then I can trust you to keep her safe." Naruto was as serious as he was upset. Sakura was a valued friend and he's seen her get hurt enough to last him a good forever. He crossed his arms, hoping that this time Sasuke can tell him seriously, and honestly.

Sasuke didn't turn away from Naruto, but paused to think about his answer.

"...She'll be useful out in the field. And it seems she's willing to travel with me to achieve something bigger for the village... She said her presence might benefit me in some way but I don't see how. But I won't know unless I give her...a chance." He slowly shared his thoughts about the subject. And it was true.

Naruto was surprised, and he smiled, "Keep her safe," Naruto held out his fist, "Or I'll kick your ass."

Sasuke smirked, bumping his fist into his, "Hah, you don't have faith in me?"

After Naruto sorted that out for himself, he bid Sasuke good luck and farewell asking him to try and send reports. Sasuke nodded and agreed, just so Naruto would leave already.

It was time for him to get going.

* * *

About five minutes before the planned meet up time, Sakura was already at the gates. She stood there in silence, staring at the path leading out of the village. It was time.

Sasuke appeared as soon as it was seven. He barely glanced at Sakura, still reluctant to acknowledge that she was travelling with him now. He barely greeted her, and continued to walk outside the gates. Sakura knew not to take his behavior to heart. She knew it would take time for him to accept a companion on such a personal voyage to self-discovery.

One thing they were both happy about is that they were finally able to leave the village.

And both were eager to see what waited in the months to come.


	8. Chapter 8

**Note:** Hey, everyone! Sorry it took me awhile to upload this chapter! The holidays and personal vacations took up a lot of my time, haha. But I have returned! Happy Christmas and New Year, everyone!

Hope you like it! Please R&R! (;u; )

 **Chapter 8**

The first few days were quiet. Sasuke soon accepted Sakura's presence, however he wasn't one to be social.

He didn't want to overthink about this whole trip. He wanted to go about this smoothly, to go with the flow. He wanted to take the time to enjoy what he couldn't see before, when he was clouded with rage and revenge. He needed to take a deep breath and embrace this empty, broken, void in his chest. As much as he missed his family with every passing day, he needed to move on. He needed...to grow. He will seize this chance to find peace and look at the world with his new-found clarity. And somehow, Sakura's presence may...help as much as he doubts the idea. Like he told Naruto previously, he won't know until he tries.

Sakura, on the other hand, was content since they left. As much as she knew the real reason for her travels, she couldn't help but feel so nervous, yet excited, at the fact that this was really happening. However, during the first few nights she couldn't sleep well, in fear Sasuke would abandon her. It wouldn't be the first time... She stayed up for so long, keeping Sasuke in her line of sight. The thought of being alone again...terrified her.

Sasuke noticed this. The previous night he'd hoped it would cease but it only continued. Later, when it was evening, he confronted her about it.

"Sakura, go to sleep."

They found a far, hidden, area to rest for the night. Their campfire was full and bright, lighting up their small camp. He sat cross-legged across from Sakura at the other end of the fire. Sakura sat against a tree, feeling her drowsiness catch up with her.

Sakura blinked replying simply, "No."

Sasuke's brows furrowed, "If you cannot properly get rest, then you will be weak if there is to be an attack. You cannot take the dangers that come with this journey _lightly_. I may not be able to protect you, as much as you'd like to think so."

Sasuke continued to stare at the fire. This was ridiculous. What is it that could possibly keep her awake every night? Is she expecting an ambush...?

Sasuke's mind flooded with questions, but reassured himself that everything was fine. They left no tracks and they haven't run into anyone on the roads. He didn't sense any danger. So..?

Sakura sighed, "I'm not taking this trip _lightly_. I just...can't sleep."

Sasuke heard the reluctance in her voice, "Sakura, I will be awake. You need to rest. If you can't, your ever-growing tiredness will hinder this journey."

He almost said it as a small threat. It's only been a few days and she's already being a problem, he thought.

Sakura winced. She got the message. She glared at Sasuke until sleep took her.

Sasuke smirked.

* * *

Two days passed and Sakura was feeling much better. She was feeling more at ease now. Sasuke's presence wasn't fleeting. She was starting to believe that he really was going to be with her throughout. However, she needed to know for sure. She knew the only way to really know was to be direct with Sasuke. As much as she knew Sasuke isn't like most men, she knew he would still be oblivious to her concerns. She took a deep breath and thought about what to say carefully.

They were continuing down the main path that lead to several small villages so that they never need worry about their provisions. As they were walking, Sakura broke the silence.

"Sasuke..?"

Sasuke glanced at Sakura as they continued, "Hn?"

Sakura sighed, "I know this may seem trivial, but... You're not going to abandon me...out here...are you?"

He heard her voice crack and with it, a pain that felt so familiar to him. He realized that this was probably why she stayed up so many nights.

"You're right. It is trivial."

Sakura expected this kind of answer. She looked down as they kept walking, feeling this invisible weight on her shoulders.

Sasuke focused on the path in front of them, knowing how much what he said hurt her. He sighed,

"Sakura... I know I could never erase the mistakes I've made in the past. Which is why I'm travelling now...to mend what I can. I know I have no right to ask this of you...but I am going to have to ask you to trust me,"

Sasuke paused then closed his eyes, "I wont abandon you."

Sakura paused with him, surprised as he turned to meet her gaze.

Then she knew. She knew she was going to be just fine.

And not alone.

* * *

As they arrived to one of the smaller villages, they stopped to grab some things that would last them enough until they reached the next village. Sasuke went to grab what they needed while Sakura spoke to the village's doctor.

When Sasuke finished, he found Sakura still engrossed with what the doctor had to say. He watched her eyes glow with every piece of new information the doctor had given her. The doctor even gave her copies of his own notes from dealing with troubled children. Sakura thanked the doctor for everything he'd given her, promising to work her hardest to help children. She spent the entire day in the Village's small hospital care.

Later on, Sakura caught Sasuke at the corner of her eye. Of course! They had to get going, she's taken enough time already. Oh, but how she wished she could stay a day longer. She wanted to meet these children personally. She needed this experience. She said farewell to the doctor and hurried over to Sasuke, telling him everything she learned. Showing Sasuke some of the paperwork and notes she's made and received. Sasuke noticed how important this was to her now, seeing it made him feel at ease. She really does want to help the village. Knowing this with certainty warmed him unbelievably.

He could also tell how much she wanted to stay longer. He then learned that it wasn't just his journey anymore...

Sakura then mustered up the courage to request to stay one more day at the village, hoping Sasuke would cooperate. She needed to learn more.

"Sasuke, if we can, can we please stay one more day? I'd like to learn more." Sakura looked at him, determined, yet just as nervous.

Sasuke nodded slightly, "Let's find a place to sleep comfortably..." He said as he walked away.

He turned before he could see Sakura's face brighten. He didn't need to see how happy it made her. As much as he knew she needed this, he was still reluctant in letting her have her way. He didn't like it, but he couldn't bring himself to say no. Not because it would make her happy, but he was curious where this research would take her...where it would take them. They're in this together...as a team. He needs to remember what that feels like. He needed to let this side of him...grow.

They asked around for an Inn in the village. When they came across it, they went up to the young receptionist. The receptionist was captivated by Sasuke's attractive features. Sakura immediately broke her out of that trance,

"Hi, do you have any rooms available?" She said it in a too-loud voice.

The receptionist blinked, annoyed, "Yes, we do. Would you like a room?"

The receptionist was asking Sasuke, ignoring Sakura completely. Sakura was going to rampage but Sasuke put his hand on her shoulder,

"Yes. A room for two, please."

The receptionist blinked again, agape, "O-of course."

They were given the room number and key, and continued their way down the hall. Sakura was still annoyed.

When they entered the room, it had separate beds thank goodness, to Sasuke's relief. He assumed the receptionist would actually give them a room with a king/queen bed. Sakura, obviously, was slightly disappointed.

As they made themselves comfortable, Sakura threw herself onto her bed, exclaiming how much she missed sleeping on a comfortable mattress. Sasuke, however, pulled off his cloak and shirt, standing in nothing but his comfortable pants and tank. Sakura slowly stood back up, feeling knots in her stomach. Inside, she was screaming at the sight of him. But she can't be a girl forever. Deep down she was looking at what remained of his arm. The bandages that would always be there...

Sasuke was looking at his arm as well, still getting used to it. It's hard to adjust to such a...change.

Sakura made her way towards him, her hand outstretched towards his. Sasuke quickly turned to look at her, almost with a threatening look as to why she would invade his personal space. His look didn't scare her though, as it used to. She knew she didn't have to be afraid of him anymore...

"I...only wanted to feel your artificial arm. It's still so amazing that this was possible..."

Sasuke allowed her to take his hand, watching her carefully handle it, examining it. She felt his energy flow through it, as if it were real. She then let go of it,

"Thank you. I'm sorry, if I made you feel uncomfortable. I'm glad your arm isn't giving you any problems..."

She then turned around to take off her cloak and her layered clothing, wearing nothing but her under shirt and shorts. As much as this made her feel embarrassed, she knew nothing would happen between them. She...trusted him.

Sasuke, however, barely blushed as he never thought she'd be so comfortable as to undress like that in front of him. But he merely turned away to fold his clothing and leave it on the nightstand. Sakura did the same and ruffled her hair, feeling more relaxed than she did in a while. Somehow, she felt more...connected to Sasuke. She felt that she was truly crafting a bond with him, however small. It almost felt tangible to her, almost...real. She wished it would only grow from here on. And prayed that it would get stronger.

She felt jealous of how close Naruto and Sasuke were. She almost felt like a third wheel, or just plain dead weight...like an anchor. She felt like she didn't belong in Team 7 sometimes. And it hurt, so much. The only bond she knew she made was with Naruto, as they have been friends for a long time. But with Sasuke, she always felt he was a stranger, and she assumed it must've been vice versa for Sasuke. She felt like nothing lasted between them, thus they never really got to grow as friends as Sasuke has with Naruto. In the end, she always felt alone. There was always a gap between her and her team mates... Maybe it was just better that way.

Sakura then turned off the lamp beside her, making herself comfortable in her bed. She faced Sasuke, who sat down on his bed, back against the wall.

He looked outside the window, which was right beside him. He saw the lights go out in every home, one by one. Then turned to turn his lamp off, noticing Sakura's face as he did so. Their beds were only three feet apart. When he turned the lamp off, the moon's light shone on her eyes, glistening like that of ocean waves that crashed against the shore...

He then laid on his back, attempting to sleep. After time had passed, he turned to see Sakura finally asleep.

Sakura would forever remain a mystery to him. Every time she looked at him, he could see...feel how much her love unconsciously shone through them. He wondered what she saw from his eyes. She probably sees nothing.

As their time together grew, he felt himself come to grow more comfortable around her. And that felt...nice. Like they were...connecting, almost. He would never admit it aloud, but he was looking forward to their growth to become better friends. He always felt distant towards Sakura. He couldn't relate to her. She had a family, she was always happy... And he was the exact opposite. He only saw her as the embodiment of what it meant to be annoying. Perhaps he was always silently jealous of what she had, always focusing on what he'd lost... That he didn't allow them to grow as friends.

But she never mattered any less to him over the years. He...kept a spot for Sakura. Since they've been kids, Sakura may have been selfish but she was the first person who tried to reach out to him with her feelings. Her feelings never wavered since then, which baffles him. He couldn't believe how much she loved him unconditionally. To meet... To know someone with so much love...

He only hopes he could...learn how to love again.

So much time has passed with which he felt nothing.

Hopefully... Time will heal such an emotional scar.


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors Note:** Thank you everyone for your reviews! And for your patience! This chapter was so much fun and intense to write (ouo ) lol. Hope you like this chapter! R &R please (;u; )!~~

 **Chapter 9**

The next day, Sakura spent it with the villages orphans. She introduced herself and became acquainted with the children, asking them indirect questions to get the experience and results she needed, being careful not to overstep her bounds or hurt their feelings. Making sure to pay attention to their behavior.

Meanwhile, Sasuke helped the villagers with whatever they needed: harvesting, construction, hunting, etc. to pass the time.

After it hit evening, Sasuke approached Sakura, suggesting they should move on soon. Sakura agreed, collecting her work and placing it carefully in her bag.

She waited for Sasuke to wash up before leaving, seeing as he spent the day doing hard labor. She smiled at this, being able to watch Sasuke...change from who he was before. Watching him be kind and helpful was something no one's ever seen except for those he's met on his travels. Somehow, she could see him as more approachable. He didn't seem so harsh anymore.

As Sasuke finished up and met with Sakura, who was waiting at the path, the villagers wished them well and to be safe on the road. One of the villagers tore from the crowd to tell them something separately though,

"You both be safe out there. There have been rumors of bandits attacking the roads, murdering innocent travelers. Watch yourselves."

Sasuke thanked the woman, saying farewell. Sakura did the same, thinking hard about what they just heard.

After they were far into the roads, Sasuke turned to look at Sakura without stopping,

"Stay alert. We'll find out if that rumor is true or not."

Sakura nodded, "I hope its not true. I'd rather avoid an ambush..."

Her voice trailed off. She was worried but she wasn't afraid at all. She didn't want to deal with petty bandits. However, murderous bandits is another thing. She was worried they'd be rogue ninjas. Sasuke was pondering the same. He was preparing himself for whatever came next.

* * *

A week passed since they left the village; since they've been warned to be careful. Sakura was starting to think it was all just a rumor, to her relief.

Sasuke, however, never let his guard down. He was still sharp, and waiting.

As they set up camp for the night, Sasuke took out his sword and began to sharpen it. Sakura sat down to silently go over her work, thinking about what she learned, marking important side notes, tabbing things to remember. As the night grew darker, Sakura put her work away, and was getting ready to sleep. Sasuke had just finished sharpening his swords edge, carefully sheathing it, looking out into the dark woods surrounding their camp.

He may have been paranoid, least that's what Sakura thought. Sasuke was always a careful, precise, man. He never let his guard down. Now, what she didn't know was the information Sasuke was keeping from her.

Sasuke noticed a small group keeping their distance, following them, for the last two days. It's not just a coincidence. They were waiting for an opportunity, one he wasn't about to let them have.

* * *

It was late, and Sasuke still kept watch. He closed his eyes, hoping the appearance of him 'sleeping' would lure them out. He heard small noises and cracks from the woods, knowing full well that it definitely wasn't just a mere coincidence.

Suddenly, a powerful wind shot directly at them, quickly banishing their campfire, and almost knocking them into the sky.

At this, Sakura felt the sudden jerk into the air and quickly recovered, taking cover behind a tree. Sasuke stood his ground, not even flinching from the gust of wind. Soon, kunai shot out from the darkness, slicing and decapitating the surrounding trees. Sasuke retreated towards Sakura,

"Move!" He moved quickly into the woods, Sakura following right behind him. They ran and jumped, dodging the attacks, finally making it to an open area of grass within the woods. Sakura and Sasuke stood back to back as the wind faded, waiting for the next attack.

"Oh, you two are quick! Thought we actually had you, but I suppose a nice challenge now and then is a nice change to the typical rubbish that walks off the paths."

Two men emerged from the woods, crooked grins widening as their blood-lust eyes stared at them in a horrific manner. The man who spoke was a slender man in baggy garments and the other more muscular and bare chested wearing only tattered pants held together by a belt.

Sasuke never broke eye contact.

"So you two were the 'bandits'?" Sakura spoke out, preparing herself for a fight. From what they witnessed earlier, they specialized in using Wind jutsu. Sakura dug her feet in the ground, in case stronger winds were to come again. Sasuke took a step in front of Sakura,

"You both will be put down. You've caused enough damage." Sasuke kept his hand stuck to the hilt of his sword.

The bigger of the two laughed, "By _you_? You must be a fool to take us as mere bandits."

Sasuke smirked, "I guess we will see who is the real fool."

The slender man smiled curtly, "Muta, leave this handsome young man to me. You may handle the girl."

The bigger man, Muta, smiled so wide, "Oh, Reon, I will. She will feel me so deep..."

As he licked his lips, Sakura cringed. How awfully terrifying, she thought. But she wasn't scared as long as Sasuke was there. They were going to pull through.

Muta made the first move; with surprising speed, he ran his way directly towards Sakura, only to be intercepted by Sasuke who struck out with his sword,

"Over my dead body." Sasuke said angrily in the moment. Horrible men like them smothering the world...he couldn't stand the thought.

Sasuke kept Muta at bay, making precise and swift jolts with his sword, striking several blows with his hilt, making sure to leave as many scars as he could. All the while dodging Muta's heavy swift punches. The slender man, Reon, didn't sit idly by, however. Sakura saw him doing jutsu signs. She threw a kunai at him, in which he countered by blowing a strong wind that emerged from his lips, lashing at her so strongly almost lifting her in the air completely. Suddenly an idea came to her, so she jumped, letting the air take her higher. Reon smiled, getting cocky,

"Muta, now is your chance!"

Muta looked up and grinned. He blocked Sasukes attack, pushing Sasuke to give himself enough room to jump towards Sakura. As Muta jumped, Sasuke's heart pinched,

"Sakura!"

Sakura saw Muta come for her, as she planned. Muta stretched out his arm towards her to grab her, but she spun and landed a chakra-filled punch straight into his face. Her counter was so strong, Muta shot straight back into the ground at an alarming speed, debris flying into the air, the land cracking and crashing skyward, leaving a crater so enormous Sasuke had to dodge all of it to avoid the calamity. Reon also moved out of the way, his face in pure awe.

Sakura landed atop a large boulder, overlooking the aftermath.

 _'Good thing I let myself fly high enough to make sure there were no neighboring towns or villages nearby... That turned out well!'_ Sakura smiled.

Sasuke joined her, also taking a good look at the land in display, _'...Christ.'_

He turned to look at her, only to find her smiling bashfully. He only shook his head, slightly smirking in response.

As a few moments went by, Muta slowly stood up, relocating his jaw back into place. He cracked his neck,

"Ooohh... You're feisty." He licked the blood off his lips, grinning to show his blood stained teeth. Reon joined him, "I thought you were dead, you oaf! Thought I'd have to kill them myself! That would have been no fun at all!"

Reon crossed his arms, huffing. Muta pushed him aside, "She...is...mine."

Sakura focused and released chakra throughout her body. Sasuke turned to her,

"I'll leave him to you, then." Sasuke motioned to Muta, then disappeared, his speed so brilliantly fast that Reon almost got killed by the edge of Sasuke's sword.

Sakura felt so motivated, so...believed in. She never thought Sasuke would let her fight on her own, let alone have her own fight. She felt the confidence he had in her, and her chakra grew stronger, bigger, that she was practically radiating chakra. Her chakra spiked, not waiting for Muta to gather himself. She charged at him, her hand outstretched, closing into a fist. Muta sensed danger, and put his hands up in defense. Her punch collided with his arms, knocking him back. As he was rolled backwards, he stopped himself by grabbing the ground hard, gathering a large amount of debris. He yelled out in amusement,

"You're not the only one with strength!"

He threw the huge lump of debris at Sakura, whom merely punched right through it. She then grinned so wide at his shocked expression,

"Never underestimate a woman!" She then jumped into the air, spiraling into a front flip, kicking the ground with such ferocity that the land around her erupted towards Muta's direction. The earth quaked beneath him, he couldn't find his footing-her force hit its target. He flew, skidding into the ground several times, until he fell limp.

Sakura then moved her chakra back into her reservoir, feeling her pride swell up. She did it. She defeated him...on her _own_. She grinned so wide, she was so proud of herself. She turned to look for Sasuke, as if to find him standing nearby and see him smirking in praise. When she turned and saw Sasuke, he stabbed the man Reon in the chest, giving him the finishing blow. He pulled his sword clean off, waving his sword downward as to get the blood off of it. He then turned to see her face, smiling radiantly.

He faced her and was about to join her, when suddenly his expression changed as Muta came up from behind Sakura, grabbing her into a firm, painful, choke-hold. She screamed, her voice piercing Sasuke's ears. Muta laughed in ecstacy,

"Yes, fill the silent night with your screams!"

Muta leaned in against Sakura's hair, reaching the nape of her neck, breathing heavily, "Oh how I will thrust into you...forcing my way in, your screams..." Muta moaned into her neck, kissing it ravenously. Sakura screamed and squirmed in terror. She screamed Sasuke's name over and over, her voice cracking and growing shrill.

In that moment, Sasuke pierced his sword into Mutas chest. Muta released his hold on Sakura, his eyes rolling back. Sasuke then struck his sword swiftly into Mutas head.

Sakura's vision blurred, failing her in that choke-hold. She coughed for air, breathing heavily, air filling her lungs. It was painful, but she was grateful. She sobbed unknowingly, feeling pure terror fill her entire being. She couldn't stand up, she could only lie there. As her vision slowly returned, Sasuke quickly reached out for her. She flinched, but he ignored her, reassuring her it was him. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and could only cry. She reached for his hand, pulling him towards her. He knelt down letting her pull him, letting her throw herself into his chest, hugging him tightly in shock. He didn't know how to...comfort her. He then came to conclusion to just...embrace her. He wrapped his arms around her, staring at the results of their fight.

* * *

When Sakura finally calmed down, she fell fast asleep in his arms. Her tear-stained face was pale, and he could only stare at her. In the end she only had herself to blame. She left herself wide open. He closed his eyes in anger as he lifted her up. He then searched for their belongings and continued on. He carried her far away from the battle, near a river where he could wash the blood off of him. He placed her near him, against a large boulder to prop her up comfortably. He washed the blood off his clothes and his skin then grabbed a rag to clean off the blood from Sakura's face and her neck... When he finished, he scouted the perimeter, making sure they were safe to rest quietly.

When he was satisfied, he came back and leaned against the boulder beside her. He placed her bag on his lap and slowly moved her, positioning her to rest more comfortably on his lap using her bag as a cushion.

He tilted his head back, feeling tired, exhausted... It was already dawn.

There was no time left for him to think.

A few moments passed until finally he, too, was asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note:** Hey everyone! Hope you liked my previous chapter (9), I worked hard to try and describe the fight ;A; gah. It was a more intense part for me, too haha. But I didn't want to continue the story without its hardships and dangers, and so on. Now, I hope you like this chapter! Please, R&R (;u ; )!~~

 **Chapter 10**

Later that day in the afternoon, Sasuke woke up. Sakura was still on his lap. He soon realized she was awake, clutching onto her bag, her back facing him. He searched his mind to find something to say, but he doubt his harsh tongue would do any good. So he decided to remain silent, and patiently wait for her.

So many things were flooding Sakura's mind. How terrified she felt...reminded her of so many close calls from the past. And that was the problem... There were too many close calls in which she found herself in danger, her life at stake... She hated that fact about her, how no matter how hard she worked to be a great ninja to the best of her ability, this is what she amounted to every time. And it sickened her. And to lose herself in fear like that in front of Sasuke... She felt so ashamed... She didn't know how to face him.

She wish last night never happened. Her victory was so fleeting. She never won to begin with. She lost. Like always.

Sasuke was lost in thought about last night. All that rang in his mind was Sakura's screams... They haunted him, as he was sure they haunted her, too. Hearing something like that from someone...who is a friend... It took him back to that horrible night, the night he lost his clan. It reminded him of all his horrible nightmares... He never ever wants to experience something like that again. When he thought he was going to lose her, right in front of him, he couldn't stand the mere thought. He swelled up with familiar pain and anger. It was horrible.

As he continued in thought, he unconsciously placed his hand on her shoulder firmly. All that was on his mind was that something horrible almost happened to her. It sickened him. He's so grateful that he was able to stop that man in time. The way that man Muta moaned on Sakura, grinning the way he did... The memory of it tore in a new type of anger inside him he never experienced before. It made him so angry, made him disgusted, he couldn't stand it. He still can't. He never wants to experience this again. It was...terrible.

Sakura felt his hand firmly grasp her shoulder, making her jump slightly. She didn't know Sasuke was awake. She was so deep in thought, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. She slowly got up, wrapping herself tightly in her cloak. She wish she could just stick her head in the ground and never come out. Sasuke watched her, still unsure of what to say. The only thing that came out was,

"Sakura... Are you alright?"

Sakura pressed the palm of her hand firmly against her forehead, feeling warm, wet, tears slide down her face. She couldn't speak. She was so overwhelmed about last night, it was so terrible...

Sasuke furrowed his brows, taking a deep breath. He reach into his bag, pulling out some rice cakes he earned at the village. He gently nudged Sakura, showing her what he was offering. She wiped her tears, taking one from him. Eating it and weeping silently. She must look terrible to Sasuke. She probably seems like a cry baby, and this mess she got herself in... She felt so much pain tug at her heartstrings. She couldn't hold back the tears. The pain, emotionally and physically, is just too much.

Sasuke watched her, looking at her bruised neck that formed overnight. He turned away. He felt this different type of anger swell up again. He wish he could kill that horrible, ugly, man over and over. To make him pay...

He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. If only she didn't let her guard down... If only he reached her fast enough to prevent it. Just... Ugh!

* * *

An hour passed, until finally Sasuke couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and offered his hand to Sakura. Sakura looked up at him, and slowly rasied her hand in his. He helped her up,

"Let's reach the next village to rest... Right now it's better to keep moving," Sakura nodded quietly in agreement. She slung her bag over her and readjusted her cloak and clothes. Sasuke reached into his bag pulling out a long scarf,

"Also, wear this... Otherwise people will stare at your bruises..." He looked away as she put it on without arguing. She was disgusted at the fact she had bruises from last night. How awful... She wrapped the scarf around her neck, right and snug... She trusted him.

With that, they continued on, finding themselves a lot closer to the next village than they thought. It took them two days to reach it. Within those two days, they've both remained silent. Neither of them could bring themselves to speak.

As they arrived, they immediately searched for an Inn to get some rest. They still felt weary since their last battle. When they came around and bought a room for the night, the only room available was a room with a full bed. Sasuke sighed as they entered the room. Sakura was still...out of it. He could tell she was still...in pain. She hasn't said a word at all. He thought she'd blush when she'd see the full bed but not at all. She is merely looking passed it. At the wall, lost in her thoughts.

He put down his things and Sakura did the same. Sasuke told her to use the restroom first, to freshen up, to relax. She needed it more than him. This experience was...traumatic for her. Sakura did as she was asked. When she finished, he took his turn.

When he re-entered the room, she was sitting against the beds' backboard.

"...Sakura," He approached her. Sakura turned to meet his eyes. She quickly looked away, unsure of what to say. Sasuke didn't lose contact,

"You can take the bed... I will sleep on the floor."

He brought out a futon from the rooms' closet, preparing it. Sakura stood up when he finished it, trying to gather her words to speak.

"I... I'm sorry, Sasuke. I couldn't handle him on my own... I let my guard down... I couldn't keep myself out of that kind of situation after all... I..."

Her voice trailed off on a tangent, voicing how she felt after that night. Making sure to tell him that she'll work harder, and to please not take her home. Sasuke listened closely and carefully to her fumbling over her sentences. It took her a long time to speak... The least he could do was listen. When she finished, she couldn't look at him. How could she? She ran her hand through her hair in frustration feeling emotionally exhausted.

Sasuke took the time to think carefully before responding. She opened up to him... He can't respond the way he usually would. But he was angry at how she let her guard down so easily. He had to speak to her sternly.

"Sakura, I won't lie to you. I am angry. At you... And at myself. You're right, you let your guard down too quickly. I warned you that I may not be able to save you every time you get into these situations... I-"

Sakura interrupted him, angry, "I don't just wake up and _decide_ to put my life at risk! I don't go out of my way to get myself into these situations! It's not my fault! I thought I finished him, but then he- then he came at me..."

She whimpered, feeling tears sting her eyes. It was horrible being held that way by that terrible man, feeling him kiss her, hearing him moan, it was terrible...terrible.

Sasukes' brows furrowed in frustration, "You know better than to let your guard down. I can't... Hearing you scream... Ugh.."

He turned away, disgusted by the memory. Sakura paused, waiting to hear more. But he never finished. He couldn't. Sakura reached out to him, touching his shoulder. He turned to look at her, anger flashing across his eyes. And then...she understood what he was feeling. He was _scared_ for her that night.

She was speechless. She could only look at him.

As moments passed, she reached for his face, but he grabbed her arm, " **Don't**."

He didn't hurt her, but he said it firmly enough for her to understand that he needed his space. Her arm slid down from his hand, but before it did completely, she took his hand in hers and he saw it. Her eyes. So full of love. He tore his hand away, tore his eyes away...

Sakura then turned around to get in bed and sleep. It didn't take long for her to... He soon heard her even-breathing. He turned to look at her, watching her face...watching her body rise and fall as she took in each breath...

He approached her, gently moving her hair out of her face. All he could think in that moment was...

 _'Thank you... For trusting me... For believing in me. Just... Thank you.'_

He thought about that horrible night. She felt so safe in his presence, so sure that he would ensure her safety that that must've been why she was so quick to let her guard down. He won't...let her down again. What a cruel lesson for them both, he thought.

He shook his head, and headed for the futon. He deserved to sleep as well.

Before sleep took him, all that was on his mind was how much he realized Sakura was starting to mean to him.

And he didn't know if that was dangerous...or fine.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, I'm glad you guys are enjoying what I've got going so far. Now, I'm going to try and upload a new chapter or two every week because right now I've got classes and two jobs, so please bear with me, haha. If I can't make a chapter, I'll try and leave a short note on my profile, so if you notice I didn't upload a chapter, probably check my profile. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me, I really don't mind; quite a few of you already have and it always motivates me! Just like your reviews! OH, and another thing! Some of you may have noticed that I didn't focus too much on Sasuke's fight with those two men. I mainly did this because we ALL know how cool and great he fights, but we never get to see Sakura in that same spotlight, so in future and most battles you'll read in my Fic, we'll mostly see _Sakura's_ fights, okay? :) As always, please R&R! (; u ;/)

 **Chapter 11**

Over the next few weeks, Sasuke and Sakura carried on focusing on their travels. They came across two villages and Sakura continued to work with children and their doctors, always leaving with a arm full of paper work and notes. Sasuke would sit down with the village elders, making sure he could hear of any more dangerous rumors.

He believed there was still evil in this ninja world, and planned to snuff it out. He never voiced this to Sakura. He knew she'd doubt it as what could ever have been more horrible than the war that has come to pass. However, he wasn't about to let himself grow soft in this new era of peace. Their previous accident brought him to this conclusion and he felt very at ease with himself. He wanted to hear about everything he can in case something comes off as too suspicious, and if he can, put it to a stop. However, his main concern was Sakura. He wasn't sure if she was up to encounter more battles. As much as he knew not to underestimate her, he didn't want a repeat of their last fight. Furthermore, he noticed her smiling more often since then. Especially around village children; she was practicing speaking with children gently about their pasts and with every child she spoke to, they'd both end up smiling. She was always talking to them, doing activities such as drawing, painting, playing with toys, or board games, or fun games like tag and hide and seek. With every thing she did with them, she wrote down notes, always jotting down her thoughts and ideas and they proven useful to her. He noticed each note was colored for importance, and he knew this because she always had something to share at the end of the day. He didn't even think she knew she was color coding them by importance, she probably did this unconsciously, so deep into her habit of filing and handling paperwork.

Sasuke mainly spent his time talking with the village elders, as if Sakura wouldn't notice. She caught on immediately that he was gathering information, but she didn't know what about or why. However, that wasn't all he did. He was always helping around the villages they visited, with whatever they needed. Whether it was to build a house or furniture to help clean up or hunt. He mainly was engrossed with what the villagers told him.

Several hours into the third day at one of the villages, Sakura was already finished with her work there to Sasuke's relief. He was getting annoyed with the village women and their incessant tasks for him. Sakura noticed that and it did bother her seeing all those women clinging to him, but it just...mirrored how she was towards him in their earlier years. And for the first time she realized how annoying she really was. Even now, that's probably how he will always see her. She...didn't like that. But why would it matter anyway? He will never look at her differently than he always has. Whenever he made eye contact, his eyes never changed. They always seemed so...hollow and cold. Especially when he looked at her. He never even looked at her the way he does at Naruto. She could see the respect he has for him both as a friend and as a rival but when he looks at her, it's like she never mean't anything to begin with...ever. And it's something that always hurt her more than anything. He can't even see her as a friend. She despised how much she cared about what he thought of her.

As Sasuke was trying to politely escape from a woman who's been after him since their arrival, Sakura noticed and decided to give him a hand.

"Sasuke, can you help me organize my paperwork? There's so much of it, I don't think it can fit in my bag..." Which was kinda half...true.

Sasuke caught on immediately and was about to accept when the woman interrupted rudely,

"And what makes you think you need any help? Don't you have two arms? Do it yourself, he's busy with me."

Sakura was booming internally at her absurdity. How dare she! But at that moment, Sasuke tore his arm away from that woman so roughly, he almost threw off the her balance. She was about to complain until she saw the look Sasuke gave her. She flinched and looked away.

"I refused your requests. I should only have to refuse once. No means, and always will be, no. Also, apologize to Sakura. Your behavior just now was uncalled for."

He stood beside Sakura, waiting for the woman to apologize. Sakura was surprised, but then again probably not. The woman apologized, embarrassed, and ran off. Sakura grinned, "Ready?" Sasuke nodded.

After they got their items together, they took off.

* * *

Weeks went by as they continued. It was morning and they were coming across a restaurant by the road. Sasuke suggested they'd stay and try the food. He was trying to enjoy things he otherwise would've never given a second glance.

They sat down in a booth, and both ordered their dish. Meanwhile, Sasuke took out his own copy of the world map. He flattened it, holding it down with his and Sakura's glasses.

"I want to cross the ocean to the Land of Water. We're already far to the east from Konoha. Just one more week and I think we can find a boat to take us to Kirigakure."

Sakura's eyes widened, "Really? I like the idea! But is there a reason to go to the Land of Water?"

Sakura was really surprised at this decision to cross the ocean. Not that she was against it, the idea was thrilling! It's something not very many ninjas get to do unless they take a high ranking mission that requires them to. How nice to see the ocean again. It's been quite awhile.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had other reasons to cross the ocean. He heard from several villages that there was a type of dragon, or giant lizard, that would terrorize and destroy ships going to and from the Land of Water. He wanted to see if this rumor proves to be true.

Sasuke pulled his eyes from the map, "Not really, I just thought you might like that."

He lied.

And Sakura noticed immediately, "Really? How thoughtful."

For the rest of their breakfast, it was quiet. Sakura felt slightly uncomfortable with not being informed of his real reason. She just hopes it isn't something dangerous. Sasuke was just drinking his tea, enjoying the silence; oblivious to Sakura's internal concerns.


	12. Chapter 12

**Note:** Hey, folks! Here's another chapter,; thank you everyone for reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this story. I've always wanted to write this so I'm glad people are liking it. I'll continue doing my best! Please R &R (; u ;/)!

 **Chapter 12**

Sasuke and Sakura were only one day away from the docks that would provide them with a ship to sail to the Land of Water. Sakura was feeling all sorts of jumbled emotions about it; she was so excited she could barely hold herself together, whereas a small part of her in the back of her mind was slightly worried. Sasuke was also slightly excited, but he made sure not to get his hopes up on this trip seeing as the trip was planned to debunk a rumor. However, if it turned out to be true, what a sight and a battle it would be.

They set up camp near a river and began preparing their dinner. Sasuke started the fire and cooked while Sakura went to the river to refill their water canteens. Once she came back, she set their canteens down and went straight to her paperwork, going over everything she's learned so far. Sasuke took it upon himself to cook most of the time because the last few times Sakura cooked, she was so distracted with her work that she ended up burning everything. This didn't upset him, he was actually content with this mutual understanding. If he prepared the meal, he could trust himself to cook the meal properly; it was that plain simple. Sakura didn't want to cook anyway, since she was really enjoying her research. She wrote so much down, she forgot where half of her notes disappeared into her bag. Every time she would rediscover her notes, her eyes sparked with interest every time. That impressed Sasuke immeasurably because he could see the passion for it in her eyes; he would always swell up in small pride, proud that she's found something to focus on and achieve. He would never admit this to her directly, however.

Sakura usually kept to herself and her work, trying to avoid speaking with Sasuke. She did this unconsciously. She would drown herself in her work to keep him out of her thoughts. The more she worked the more she would forget all about him, at least for a little while. She didn't want to get any more attached than she already felt all these years. But even that couldn't hide how happy she truly was to be around Sasuke 24/7. It always felt so surreal because she could never imagine this to actually occur. She would always 'accidentally' brush against Sasuke's arm, or back, anything, just to make sure it was all still real. It's already been a month and a half; she still can't grasp all of this. Even after drowning herself in her work, she couldn't stop thinking about him in between her thoughts, her pauses, when scanning over her paperwork. It would frustrate her to unbelievable lengths that sometimes she would find a quiet place _away_ from Sasuke (but not too far, of course). But she always unconsciously chose a spot with him in her line of sight.

Sasuke finished cooking, calling Sakura over to grab her portion. She brought a folder with her to the fire, using her other hand to grab her bowl. She thanked Sasuke and sat down, carefully placing her work on her lap, setting her bowl and picking it up again to eat, multitasking. Sasuke watched her, as he always did. He wondered if this is how she was at the hospital back in Konoha. He heard from Tsunade, while Sakura was unconscious, that she worked very hard while he was away and that it was probably because he motivated her. He couldn't see how, but he was glad she worked hard for the hospital. He heard she worked with some of the Scientists in charge of Hospital Technology, showing ideas and possible upgrades, suggestions, everything just to make sure the machines could save lives. Looking at her now... He understands now why she ended up getting ill. He made sure she ate to avoid that in the future. One of the perks of being the one cooking, he felt.

He noticed she would drown herself in her work more and more lately, and it concerned him for a time. She spoke less and less, and it felt odd because she always had something to say or ask. He was so used to silence, but being in _her_ silence unsettled him... He would tell himself she's working, to not bother her, to let her be, but he wanted her to enjoy the freedom of this trip without being imprisoned in her research. He grew internally upset at these thoughts. Why should it matter, why does he suddenly feel concerned? ' _She could do as she pleases'_ was always his resolve about the matter. And he would think of it no further. But still, the more silent she grew, he wondered more and more.

Sasuke spoke slightly more loud in an attempt to get her attention, "Sakura?"

Sakura blinked, and tore her eyes away from her work, genuinely surprised to hear him say anything at all.

"Yes, Sasuke?"

Sasuke took a moment to reply, "Is your research...really that interesting?"

He didn't care if she did nothing but work, but he at least knew she needed to take breaks.

Sakura looked at her papers, realizing she barely touched her meal. She sighed sheepishly, "I'm working too much aren't I?"

She put down her work beside her, and grabbed her bowl and started eating. Sasuke, still keeping eye contact, simply replied, "Watch your health. You need to take breaks from your research if you want to breathe at all."

Sakura almost choked on her food, laughing in embarrassment, "I should, but I can't help it. I took your words very seriously, Sasuke..." she trailed off. Sasuke patiently waited for her to continue.

"I... want to work hard. I want to show you how serious I am about this trip. I didn't want you to really believe that I went on this trip just to have fun, or be in your way... Sometimes I get too engrossed. I'll try to be more careful from now on." Sakura smiled as she finished explaining, hoping that he understood her position on this trip.

Sasuke closed his eyes and and put down his empty bowl, "Good. I'm glad, but don't let your health become a problem."

Sakura half-smiled, "Yes, Sasuke."

Sasuke paused for a moment, then grabbed his bowl to wash it and put it away. Sakura finished her meal and did the same.

Sakura decided to take a break from then on until they reached the Land of Water. She wouldn't need to work on her research while at sea anyway. She neatly packed away her paperwork, and suddenly felt like she had nothing to do. Or at least nothing productive. It was already late, but she couldn't sleep. She suddenly felt a surge of energy. On the way to finding this area to camp, she noticed some herbs they passed by. Perhaps she could retrieve a few, since her supply was slowly diminishing. And who knows, she may need her medicines on board the ship in case. She wonders if Sasuke could help her gather some, it would get the job done quicker.

Sasuke was putting the fire out, preparing to rest for the night. She approached him, hoping he'd assist her if at least for awhile.

"Sasuke, I want to gather some more herbs before we reach the docks. I saw a few, even some rare ones on the way here. Could you help me gather some? We could gather more as a team and finish up sooner..." She looked away, glancing back and forth between Sasuke and the ashes leftover from the fire. She wasn't sure how he'd respond. He'd probably refuse and told her to have done so before it got dark.

Sasuke thought about her request, thinking it to be a good idea. Whatever happens, her medical skills might be invaluable on board the ship. He looked at her, and nodded. Sakura blinked, then smiled and asked him to follow her, both of them grabbing their things.

The area wasn't too far, just a ways away. She crouched and told Sasuke what to look for, pulling up a few herbs she already picked out. It was dark, but the moon shone bright, brightly enough for her to identify what they needed. She also explained to him what some of them did, and how their effects work. She also spoke and went on about how to prepare certain potions and ointments and healing herbal teas. She practically gave him a free course on herbal medicine, which he actually appreciated. He knew some of what she told him, but learning more certainly would help in future events if she were to come to harm. Or at least that's what his thoughts were, as he saw her take her scarf off, seeing that her bruises were no longer there on her neck. He asked carelessly if there was an herb to heal bruises, and Sakura paused for a moment, touching her neck without thinking. Then she turned and smiled,

"Yeah, there's lots of treatments for bruises. There's herbs, berries, some leaves, too, that you can use to create an oil or ointment to help them heal." She returned to harvesting and Sasuke stood in place for a moment, wondering if he may have said something wrong. But instead, he approached her and asked her to tell him which kind, and Sakura gladly shared it with him. She was glad he was getting interested, but she knew he found it helpful or useful in the future.

After awhile, they gathered all they could find.

"This should do it until we reach the Land of Water. If there are more on the way to the docks, I'll pick them." Sakura said this happily, feeling a sense of achievement and feeling more relaxed being away from her paperwork. It was nice to be out and doing what she was confident in. Sasuke agreed with her that he'd do the same, and they both returned to camp to get a good nights rest.

* * *

When day came, they packed up quickly and started on the road again. Hours flew by as both Sasuke and Sakura found herbs and other useful plants on the way. Doing this was almost...fun to Sasuke. It felt good to be prepared for a long voyage overseas. And he was grateful to learn more about the plants that were useful. Even common plants had a use and he was impressed at Sakura's extensive knowledge. He never knew that she learned so much and had so much to share with him, it almost felt endless. He enjoyed these informative conversations, and asked Sakura to tell him as much as she could if anything came to mind at all. Sakura was glad she could be of some use to Sasuke, and felt confident in herself to try and tell him important information. She told him she'd share more on board their ship.

They arrived at the port docks in the late afternoon. The sun was setting, casting a beautiful array of colors clashing in the light upon the clouds. Sakura was speechless at the view. The ocean was radiant and the sky was beautiful.

Sasuke immediately went looking for a boat that would take them across. He assumed it would be difficult considering that passage may be dangerous to sailors who feared the rumor. And as he asked around, it confirmed his thoughts exactly.

As Sasuke was occupied with finding them a ship, Sakura approached the small post office at the port, making sure to inform Naruto and Kakashi of their travels. As she finished attaching all her words (which were spread out onto several papers, recording previous days since they left that she kept until she found a post office). She left a final letter beneath many, putting them in order by dates. She went in search for Sasuke to sign beside her signature, so that Naruto would know he was with her. When she spotted him, she overheard a man laughing,

"Are you crazy!? Haven't you heard? There's a sea monster out there! Ships and their crew have disappeared, or worse. No, I refuse your request." The man shooed Sasuke away.

But Sasuke didn't accept the refusal, "That's why we're looking for a ship to take us across. We're hunting down the creature."

Sasuke said this, determined to get aboard. The sailor squinted as he turned to meet Sasuke's eyes, "Really? And what of us, my crew and I? I have enough lives to carry with me. Find someone else."

And with that, the Sailor retreated into his ship. Sasuke turned, and found Sakura standing near him, stricken with disbelief. Sasuke looked at her, realizing she overheard. His expression didn't change, but he prepared for this moment that she would find out. However, he wanted to tell her personally, directly... Not like this. He'd hoped he'd find a ship and wait until they were aboard.

Sakura felt hurt that he kept this information from her. Why did he keep it from her? Did he not think that she had a right to know? She couldn't believe him!

"Sasuke, we're going overseas...because of some sea monster?" Sakura was upset, he could have told her.

"Yes. I was going to tell you eventually... I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I wasn't sure you'd be alright with this plan."

Sakura shook her head, "And tricking me was the solution..? Sasuke..." She trailed off, trying to finish her sentence. Sasuke patiently waited, as he always has.

"Sasuke, this is your journey; I have accepted that from the very beginning. You make the decisions in where we go, you can decide whatever you like, Sasuke. But if it puts us in any danger, I deserve to know. I'm here with you, we're-we're a team! You have to communicate with me. You don't have to lie to me, you can trust me! Why...just why?" Sakura was very upset, but more hurt than she was angry.

Sasuke looked away for a few moments, then returned his gaze to her and she saw a flash of concern in his eyes, and many other emotions.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. From here on, I will not keep information from you. I didn't tell you because... I didn't want to worry you. I wanted you to focus on your work before I revealed the reason to our voyage."He said it all so simply, but she knew it was probably hard for him to even apologize. She sighed, not feeling any better but simply demanded his signature so she could send the damn letters. As he complied with her demand, he added a note beneath his name.

 _'We're doing well.'_

Sakura then turned on her heels and stomped off to the post office. Sasuke stood there, watching her leave, until she vanished from sight. Then he resumed his search.

Eventually, a man approached Sasuke, claiming he and his crew plan to search for the creature and put an end to its attacks. They were unsightly and didn't look at all like they were professionals at what they claimed to be professionals at. Sasuke didn't like these group of men, nor how their eyes burned at the sight of Sakura... No, he didn't like these men at all. He refused but Sakura quickly went against him,

"This is the only ride we could find. We're taking it." Sakura said, pushing past him. Sasuke glared at her, but immediately at the men. He reluctantly accepted their offer, and they both boarded. The sailor in charge escorted Sasuke and Sakura to separate rooms, but Sasuke paused and asked for one room for the both of them. The sailor looked at Sasuke in contempt, then showed him one room with two single beds. Once they were settled, Sakura questioned Sasuke for his behavior and Sasuke voiced his opinion about the crew,

"I do not trust these men. So please, do not stray too far from my protection." Sasuke said, in a tone that sounded like an order. Sakura scoffed, "Protection? I can handle myself, Sasuke."

The day ended and as they got ready to sleep, Sakura was still unhappy with what transpired. Sasuke, however, waited until all was quiet, and locked their room door. No, he did not trust this crew indeed.

He should have forced Sakura to comply with his refusal to travel with these men. Now, he must be prepared for whatever is to happen from this day forward.


	13. Chapter 13

**Note:** Hey, guys! As always, thank you for your patience! And for everything! Please, R &R (; u ;/)!~

 **Chapter 13**

When day came, Sakura woke up to find Sasuke already awake. It appeared he hasn't slept all night.

She took her time to think about what happened yesterday. How upset she was at Sasuke... She was at her limit with him. She finally felt like she and Sasuke were growing closer, becoming something more than they've ever been and suddenly, she feels like she hasn't moved from her original position. It wasn't a huge lie, but it sounds dangerous, and it was overseas. Not a comforting battle to look forward to if there is to be any. She mainly just felt slightly betrayed. She thought he trusted her, but in the end he probably didn't trust anyone. But when she saw that slight flash of emotion in his eyes when he explained himself made her feel...warm inside. She thought about it all night how to speak to Sasuke. After calming down, she took a moment to think about what had happened and now she regrets getting angry at all. But it was something she couldn't help. However, she kicked herself for not seeing the crew for what they really were. She could tell they weren't the kinda men you'd trust or surround yourself with. And she could see that Sasuke was bothered by it. She guessed that was why he hadn't slept.

Sasuke was sitting upright on his bed, fully clothed, sword in his lap. Sakura got up and stood to get ready for the day.

Sasuke noticed Sakura was awake and spoke, "We haven't left yet. I spoke with a sailor and he told me that we are waiting for one more passenger. Apparently whoever it is seems to be the one running this whole arrangement."

Sakura raised a brow, "Really? Must be someone rich. I was surprised to see this ship belonging to those sailors; it's huge."

Sasuke nodded, "Seems like it."

Sakura took a shower and put on a fresh set of comfortable clothing, leaving her cloak folded in her pack. Sakura brushed her hair and fluffed it, deciding to leave her Leaf band in her pack as well. It was giving her headaches recently and she saw no reason to wear it anyway. She came out of the restroom to find Sasuke standing in the middle of the room, his cloak and sword equipped.

"Are you ready yet?" Sasuke asked, impatient. Sakura didn't realize he was waiting for her; she smiled,

"Why? Are we going somewhere?" She followed him out of the room. Sasuke then proceeded to leave a subtle seal on their room door, as a precaution. No one likes a snoop.

Sakura was waiting for an answer, but he ignored her question, which she didn't appreciate.

"Sasuke..?" She said, trying to lean into his line of sight. Sasuke glanced at her,

"We're going to wait for this passenger."

Sakura nodded, thinking about how careful a man Sasuke was. And he had reason to be. If it weren't for her, they wouldn't be stuck on this ship by now. She was wondering why they couldn't just leave now,

"Sasuke, since we haven't left the port yet, can't we just leave..?" She said this seriously. If he was acting this suspicious, she doesn't want to wait around and figure out why. Sasuke brought his attention to her as they slowly walked to the front of the ship,

"I want to know what this operation is really about. It doesn't sit right with me."

They both stood against the railing, waiting for a good while. Some of the crew passed by them, slandering them in hushed words. Sakura didn't like it at all but Sasuke looked at her in reassurance to _not_ let loose on the crew. She reluctantly obeyed.

Once it hit about noon, Sakura sat on the railing, bored. Sasuke never stopped standing exactly where he was, almost beside Sakura. It was silent between them and she felt it was partly her fault. She felt horrible for getting upset the way she did the day before. She wanted to make sure that they were both on good terms.

"Sasuke... I'm sorry for getting upset yesterday. I know you had your reasons. I just didn't appreciate being lied to..." She paused, waiting for his answer.

Sasuke heard her, and knew she's had it on her mind. He knew she'd get upset, yet what confused him more was why he kept the truth from her. He searched his mind for the answer, but he couldn't find one. All that came to mind was her being against his plans. He didn't like that scenario, nor did he want to hear her complain. Whatever it was, it felt right to not tell her until the time came. However, it proved to be the wrong plan. He took a deep breath as he took a few steps closer to the railing,

"It's fine, Sakura. We've both learned from this," he placed both his hands on the railing, wind meeting both their faces and flowing through their hair, "because... We're a team. Thank you... for bringing that to my attention."

Sasuke never looked away from the port, as he was scanning the people walking and passing by around the docks. But what he said... He mean't it. And Sakura felt that. She hummed in positive response.

Minutes went by until finally a tall man approached the ship. He was a young man who held up his brown hair in a ponytail. As he walked closer, Sakura could see how well dressed this man was; he made casual look too good. Sasuke stood up, glancing at Sakura for her to do the same. It was time to meet this man.

The crew went to work as soon as they caught sight of the man. The 'captain' of the crew approached the him, Sasuke and Sakura following behind in considerable distance. The Captain shook the man's hand,

"Oh, my Lord Kousuke, I'm glad you arrived here safely. Please, come aboard."

Sasuke and Sakura were on the ship, waiting to be introduced. The Captain walked ahead and turned towards the Kousuke,

"My Lord, these are the ninjas that will grant us safe passage through the waters: Sasuke and," the Captain paused, "Sakura."

Lord Kousuke smiled, "I thank you both for assisting me. It's been hard trying to find people capable enough to handle this voyage as I am sure you both will prove to be sufficient."

Kousuke turned to look at Sakura, flashing a handsome grin, "Your name is Sakura? The name suits you incredibly. I heard right that you would help us pass safely?"

Sakura blinked but before she could respond, Sasuke answered for her, "Yes, that's right."

Kousuke looked at Sasuke, then proceeded to continue boarding the ship.

Sakura felt nervous in Kousuke's presence. However, she couldn't deny how handsome he was. He was...so attractive. She shook her head, and turned to look at Sasuke, burning inside with feelings for him. She can't get distracted by this stranger. Sasuke caught her stare, and as usual, saw nothing but the love she had for him shining behind her eyes. He wondered if she had wavered just now. He wasn't a fool, Kousuke was a handsome man. But...the fact she looked at him so fondly made him feel so...at ease. And Sasuke found that confusing. Why would he care if she loved him or not? It's not important, was what he always thought of it.

He returned Sakura's stare unconsciously, pondering these mixed emotions she always made him feel. He wasn't sure if it felt uncomfortable or normal to be in her presence like this. It always made him feel like he should get away, as if he were in danger. Yet he could understand that analogy, seeing as he has always been _her_ target. He closed his eyes, letting a smirk grow at the corner of his lips. Sakura realized she was staring; surprised, she gasped quietly, almost losing her balance. Sasuke leaned in and caught her arm gently, barely, as he made pure eye contact. Sakura flushed completely, unknowingly placing her hand on her heart. She couldn't look away from Sasuke's eyes, they were so hypnotic, so dark. They were so intense, they only made her blush red more and more. She always felt odd whenever he looked at her so intensely like that, it always made her lose control over herself.

Sasuke found it amusing seeing Sakura mentally squirm in his presence. He stared at her, aware that he was making her feel uncomfortable in a way that he could tell made her heart race. But she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the sudden close proximity. Sasuke then released his small grip on her, turning around to leave,

"Let's go."

Sakura straightened her clothing, suddenly feeling hot. She wondered what the hell that was about; she doesn't need this kind of emotional stress. She fanned her face with her hand as she followed Sasuke throughout the ship.

Soon, the ship began to sail further and further away from the port.

* * *

It's been a few days since they've left their previous destination. Sasuke and Sakura were at the tallest floor of the ship, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious on board and at sea.

At one point during the evening, the ship was turning. Sasuke noticed this, noticing the sudden shift from the path that would lead to the Land of Water. Where they were headed, he wasn't sure now. Sakura also noticed the change, and voiced her concern quietly to Sasuke. Sasuke only nodded and turned, with her following behind, walking towards the cabin that housed the ship's wheel. There they found the Captain and Lord Kousuke. Kousuke was bent over a table, with a map splayed out covered in markings and tacks, notes, and the like spread all over it.

Lord Kousuke noticed them coming in, and smiled, "Sasuke, Sakura, have you both seen anything?"

Sakura took a step forward, "Other than the ship changing course? That's the only thing we found questionable thus far."

Sasuke only stared at Lord Kousuke, merely waiting for an explanation. Kousuke sighed,

"So, my Captain didn't inform you, did he?" He despicably glanced at the man behind the ship's wheel.

The Captain shrugged his shoulders, "No one would help us, my Lord. I had to do something..."

Lord Kousuke shook his head, then turned to Sakura and Sasuke,

"I apologize for the confusion. You see, where we are headed is to an island to be considered sacred because of a certain relic."

Lord Kousuke paused. Sakura's eyes widened, "A relic?" She turned to Sasuke, who returned her gaze for a moment. In that quick glance, they weren't too comfortable with this 'misunderstanding'.

Lord Kousuke went on, "There's a relic said to bring peace to any land it ensconces itself. And I have been searching for it to bring back to my father for years. I heard it can be found farther east from the Land of Water. A short detour, if you will."

Sasuke took a step forward to take a look at the map, following Lord Kousuke's finger tracing the lines and notes along the map. Sasuke then looked up,

"This doesn't explain the rumors about the sea creature."

Sakura joined Sasuke by his side, taking a look at the map herself. She noticed a few 'X's marked on the map already. She assumed they were places that Kousuke searched before but couldn't find anything. She noticed random words and notes, explaining the directions, and other information regarding his search. The island they're headed to was circled, but she saw a small drawing of a serpent near it and read, ' _Beware_ '.

Sakura lightly tapped Sasuke's arm, pointing at the drawing,

"I think I just found your answer."

Lord Kousuke nodded, "All the ships you've heard in your rumors that have been attacked and destroyed, or disappeared completely... Were my ships. I've ordered some of my crew to take some of my ships out and make camp at the island before my arrival. However, it's proven difficult. Once I heard about this serpent from one of my own men, and from a few survivors, my search has been halted. So I ordered this fool," he paused gesturing to the Captain, "to find someone who is capable of handling this creature. He has informed me that you two were sufficient."

He paused to look at both Sakura and Sasuke, "Are you both able to handle the creature?"

Lord Kousuke asked them seriously, and was expecting an honest answer.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke and replied, "Well... That's why we came all the way here anyway...on this voyage."

Sasuke gave Sakura a _look_ and answered, "She's right. And yes, we can handle the situation."

Lord Kousuke sighed in relief, "I entrust you both with the creature, then."

Sasuke spoke with Lord Kousuke about his plans, asking him where the attacks were focused, making sure he could figure out when to predict where the creature will attack. Sakura looked at the map while listening to them converse, and borrowed Kousuke's notebook and pen and began writing down a few ideas. She then explained that they could go about dealing with the creature in different ways. They could either kill it, fight it off, or capture it. She then asked Lord Kousuke for details about the creature. He then explained that the creature was enormous, and brutal, showing no mercy for the ships and their sailors.

When they finished gathering enough information, both Sakura and Sasuke dismissed themselves. Once they reached their rooms, it was already late. They weren't close to the island and weren't expecting the creature for another few days, so they were advised to relax and plan until then. Sakura had asked for large pieces of paper from Lord Kousuke, who gladly let her take as many she needed. She flattened one sheet on the floor and started drawing a diagram of their ship. Meanwhile, Sasuke took off his cloak and put down his sword, straightening out his vest and adjusting his long sleeves. He then sat down across from Sakura, watching her draw the diagram wondering what she was working on.

As she was drawing straight lines with her ruler, she noticed Sasuke watching her work. He just sat there quietly watching her and she kind of felt nervous, she felt this invisible pressure all of a sudden and was scared she'd mess up but she ended up finishing the diagram nicely. Sasuke wasn't surprised at all with how well her memory is. He's always been aware of her strengths and this was one of them. When she finished the diagram she looked up, and explained to Sasuke the purpose of the diagram. They didn't know what to expect so she suggested using the diagram to predict different situations they could end up in, and use them to figure out a way to turn it into their advantage. Sasuke smirked,

"This is good, Sakura."

They then spent the rest of the night formulating different scenarios, both feeling a small jolt of excitement.


	14. Chapter 14

**Note:** Hi everyone! I'm really sorry for how late I've been for updating my story! I've been so busy. _ I'm still gonna be busy until maybe the end of April, so if my updates are like spread out or whatever, it won't really go back to normal until around May I'll try and update whenever I can. Thank you guys so much for your patience! Please enjoy!

(;;u ;;/)~*~*~

 **Chapter 14**

The next day, Sakura woke up late. She fell asleep on the floor, covered by a blanket and a pillow placed under her head. She slowly rose, letting her eyes adjust to the light that shone in their room through a small porthole window on their door. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room. Her papers, work, and their diagrams were spread throughout the room. They pinned some on the walls and the rest that couldn't fit lain right beside her. She then heard the sound of the shower turning off. She stood up and sat on her bed, pulling her blanket and pillow with her. She coiled herself up and attempted to go back to sleep; they stayed up so late, she could feel the exhaustion tearing at her body and her eyes.

As soon as she almost fell asleep, Sasuke stepped out from their bathroom. He noticed Sakura had moved from the floor back to her bed. He chuckled silently; almost like a child, he thought. He then contemplated whether or not to let her be. He went with the latter.

"Sakura," he called. He soon found that that was a mistake. Sakura barely lifted her head and turned it ever so slowly to reveal the most unpleasant expression he's ever seen on her. It didn't scare him like it would have Naruto, but it did unsettle him. He waved his hand in reluctant defeat, "nevermind. Please, continue."

Sakura huffed at his serious sarcasm and went back to sleep. Sasuke smirked.

Without realizing it, he was admiring her. She was useful last night; her insight proving very much that she can handle their journey. He now found her valuable. Together, they were strong and he...liked that. However, lately she's becoming more comfortable around him. He noticed slight changes in her behavior around him and towards him. She no longer flinched when he walked towards her or looked at her, or spoke to her. He knew it was his fault. The way he was before was cruel, harsh...he was terrible. Looking back to his fight against Naruto that resulted in the loss of his arm, he apologized to Sakura. He mean't every word of it...and the sight of her sobbing...crushed him. She always cried when it came to him. He caused her so much pain that he honestly believes she shouldn't pursue him yet...she has been this whole time. He closed his eyes and shook his head gently, to put his mind elsewhere. But it always came back to her. He noticed the way she smiled more often at anything and everything. How she easily glowed in every step of the way on their journey. She has attempted to speak with him more often, sharing her knowledge with him, even sharing her humor... She always gave him all of her.

If only she could see...could understand...that he can't do the same.

He sighed, and got dressed for the day. He then lay in his bed, also exhausted from last night's extreme strategic planning.

Sasuke couldn't deny that he...enjoyed her company. He never really got to know Sakura and he reluctantly admits that he's glad she came with him. Seeing how much she's grown really did make him proud. Proud that his previous self that was cruel and full of pride, and drunk with power didn't ever get to her in a way that would ruin her. He's proud that she's been strong all this time.

Sasuke slowly dozed and soon he, too, fell asleep.

* * *

Sakura woke up a few hours later feeling more refreshed. She turned to look beside her to see Sasuke there, asleep. She sighed quietly in disbelief; she doesn't think she's ever seen him sleep this entire time. She was happy to see him do something so...human. It felt good to know that he did get rest. She's always wondered otherwise, but she always knew what kind of man he was. A man that is always alert. She smiled at him, and quietly got ready for the day.

Once she finished, she stepped out of their bathroom to see Sasuke still asleep. She felt it best not to wake him, so she stepped out and saw that it was past midday. She walked up to the first floor to patrol the ship and the ocean.

Sakura was glad they came on board the ship despite its odd and suspicious circumstances. She doesn't get the opportunity to see the ocean and venture out this far very often. She loved the ocean, she found it so fascinating. It was vast, holding treasure and mystery beyond what anyone can imagine, she felt. It just seemed so...infinite. She loved watching the ripples and waves flow through the water; it reminded her so much of how chakra flowed naturally within the human body. It was one way she was able to achieve her strength, her chakra abilities... She would observe rivers and the ocean to try and understand how chakra should flow, should behave. She needed to feel the same, to be like water. To let chakra flow naturally, to be calm, to be... _infinite_.

She just...loved the ocean.

* * *

Moments later, Lord Kousuke joined her, walking carefully. She noticed him, and stood up,

"What brings you up here, Kousuke?" She asked, wondering if something was wrong. Lord Kousuke merely shook his head,

"Just checking up on you. I notice your friend Sasuke isn't here. So I thought I'd keep you company." As he said this, he sat down across from Sakura. She then did the same.

"Sasuke is resting right now. He needs it, so please refrain from bothering him." She smiled, remembering Sasuke earlier.

Lord Kousuke bowed his head, "Thank you, I will heed your request."

Lord Kousuke wished to woo Sakura, since he was the type of man that women found irresistable. He had the uttermost confidence in wooing Sakura. He felt he could get her wrapped around his finger in no time at all. But so far, she hasn't been interested in him in any way. She never came by to see him, talk to him, let alone look at him. He felt...on edge. He hasn't experienced this before. Usually everything he wanted would walk right into his arms, so to speak. But she proved a challenge that he was willing to overcome.

Sakura, on the otherhand, didn't even notice him _trying_. To be brutally honest, she wished to be alone, or at least alone with Sasuke if he had been present.

Sakura sighed, "My Lord, it would be best to remain inside the ship. I do not wish to be distracted on my patrol."

Lord Kousuke's eyes flashed in delight, "I distract you? How so?"

Sakura glanced at Kousuke and said simply, "Not to be rude, but you're talking. That alone is distracting me from my duty. Please understand that I take my job seriously."

Lord Kousuke was so upset, he flushed in embarrassment at her blatant response. He stood up,

"Of course. How careless of me. Well then, so long."

With that, he stomped away. When he was out of earshot, she burst out laughing. She's not usually so harsh, or even honest, but she doesn't trust anyone on this ship. She has to be firm to avoid being anyone's friend other than Sasuke.

She wished he'd show up soon. It was getting cold and she forgot her cloak. Hopefully he'd think of bringing her cloak with him.

An hour went by and it grew dark. She was starting to wonder if Sasuke would ever show. Waiting over something so trivial still clutched at her heart. Waiting in general always made her feel weak. Made her feel terrible. She only ever had memories of waiting for Sasuke to return, to come back... She's not fond of those memories or those feelings. She wished they didn't feel so welcome, so familiar... If only she could be rid of it. She wished Sasuke would join her soon so she could avoid feeling doubt again. Doubt of his arrival, his presence... Despite knowing full well he's on board. This fear will always cling to her.

Several minutes passed as Sakura remained on patrol, feeling distraught. Foolishly distraught.

Sasuke soon came up behind her. She heard him sigh deeply, as if in relief. She turned, and there he was. In that moment, she felt...full again. She in turn sighed in what seemed like relief.

Sasuke woke up minutes before, worried over Sakura. He didn't find her in their room when he awoke, and naturally he thought the worst. But seeing her patrolling put him at ease. Patrolling without him, the gall. As if he didn't worry enough, she could have at least left a note. As he searched the room previously, he found her cloak and brought it with him. He noticed Sakura shivering, so he reached behind him to give it to her.

"Here."

Sakura brightened considerably, "Thank you, I was hoping you'd bring it. It's so cold being out in the ocean."

She wrapped up immediately feeling ever so grateful. Sasuke sat across from Sakura, hand on the hilt of his sword that was tied against his waist.

As the night grew darker, and colder, Sakura admired the moon shining against the ocean, watching the waves' foam spray into the light. It all shone as if they were all tiny stars disappearing as fast as cotton candy would in your mouth. The night air swallowed them up whole.

Sasuke noticed Sakura's intense fascination with the ocean. He then soon realized, and remembered, why she was looking forward to this voyage. He was at least glad that she had something to enjoy while out here. He glanced at Sakura, noticing how pale her skin really is, just like his own. Her skin, in contrast with the sky and surrounding waves, was enchanting to him. He never really observed her features before. Only then did he take advantage. Her eyes were so clear, he knew they would shine emerald but tonight they shone so pale, so blue, against the moonlight. Her smile always caught him off guard.

Sakura noticed Sasuke was staring and she smiled, "Something wrong?"

Sasuke shook his head, "Not at all."

Sakura then remembered to tell Sasuke about Lord Kousuke. She recounted the entire conversation and when she finished, Sasuke glanced at Sakura, smirking in approval. She laughed.

That night was a night spent sharing words.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

As the night went on, Sakura grew hungry. She knew there was a mess hall in the ship, and offered to bring Sasuke something but Sasuke waved his hand in dismissal,

"I'll grab our dinner. Wait here."

And he left, leaving Sakura surprised. She sat herself back down and stepped deep into thought over the small changes in Sasuke's behavior towards her in general. She feels that he's being...less distant. They actually carried a few small conversations before they grew hungry. She's asked him about the kinds of things he's learned, and he shared some things with her. She was nervous to ask Sasuke anything, considering his answers were never really answers, more like responses that changed the subject or the response always came back to her. He never really shared much about himself and she accepted that. But even so, she'd love to know more about him. She shares so much and sometimes she feels as though she shouldn't. She talks and talks and Sasuke's small, minor, boring responses are always the same. She feels as though he doesn't care, that he just lets her fill the silence. Maybe she should just keep things to herself; it hurts to give so much of herself only to not get much in return. Either way, she's used to disappointment...

Besides that, Sasuke will sometimes be almost...nice? She couldn't find the word for it. He just doesn't seem as harsh as he once was, to her relief. All the same, he is beginning to show some playful expressions during their time together. She didn't expect to see Sasuke smirk so often as he does. She thought it wasn't possible, but it must be; she feels really great when she sees that small, childish grin at the corner of his lips. It almost feels as though it were some kind of an achievement, she admitted in small shame. But it cannot be helped with a man like Sasuke. He is so hard to read and to understand that she stopped trying and decided to go with the flow. To let things be and go on naturally. It's the only sure way to grow a friendship with him.

She definitely feels as though Sasuke cares, in some ways. It's the little things she's noticed that makes her heart flutter, even if its something as simple as fetching food for them both. But she doesn't want to believe that so easily. Only a fool would start believing that, and a fool she's always ended up being. Sakura felt she probably misunderstands why some of the things that he does, that seem considerate, must be for some kind of gain...as always. She must be careful not to get careless, throwing her feelings about. She must take better care of herself, so as not to get hurt again.

But some small portion of her truly hopes that Sasuke will _look_ at her. It's a feeling she could never get rid from her system. Every small action that he does makes her have hope and that's what make's it so hard to...forget him. She doesn't think that this will ever stop.

Even if there was a chance, an opportunity, to let him go... She wouldn't take it.

* * *

Sasuke entered the ship's mess hall, and asked the cook if he had anything left from tonight's dinner. The cook was a warm, good man who was hired separately from the crew. Lord Kousuke ate at his family restaurant and found his cooking very delicious. After the meal, the Lord asked for him to be his cook on his voyage to an island, offering money the cook couldn't deny. The cook needed the money to support his family and their restaurant; with it they could prosper. Sasuke respected the man, explaining he was hired to protect the ship. He promised the cook the voyage would be a safe one, and he could tell the cook was relieved as he had heard rumors of encountering a creature on their travels. The cook hoped it was nothing but a rumor, but like all rumors, they all left a twinge of doubt. The cook then gave Sasuke two large bentos half freshly made and wished him well. Sasuke nodded, thanking the cook for their late meal, apologizing for any inconvenience. All the cook said was, 'don't ever say sorry unless you did something wrong; now go, your friend must be hungry since you both haven't eaten since we've left the harbor.'

Sasuke smirked and walked away. He liked the cook and was glad there was an honest man on this ship. The crew is so suspicious he didn't think he'd find a decent man on board.

As he was walking on deck, the cool air greeted him, softly grazing his skin. As he continued on, he ran into Lord Kousuke. As they were about to cross paths, Sasuke slightly bowed in greeting, intending to go no further than that. He wanted to avoid a conversation with the man, as he didn't trust him. Lord Kousuke, however, didn't want to let this opportunity pass; he wanted to confront Sasuke about his relationship with Sakura and Sasuke was proving difficult to find.

"Sasuke, was it? May I have a word?" The Lord paused, four feet from Sasuke. They were of equal stature and build and they both oozed an aura of arrogance and pride. Lord Kousuke could see that Sasuke was more or less a very attractive man but he felt he was more handsome, his conceit reaching further than his wit. However, as much as the Lord may have internally denied it, he felt intimidated by Sasuke. His head screamed to run, to be far away from this man, but his pride wouldn't let him.

Sasuke turned around, his eyes boring into the Lords'. Sasuke didn't even address the Lord, simply just let him have his attention. Lord Kousuke took this as a complete disrespect!

 _'How dare he belittle me, think himself more superior! The audacity,'_ Thought Lord Kousuke. The Lord then took a deep breathe as to not lose himself,

"What's your relationship with Sakura? Are you both lovers?"

Lord Kousuke expected Sasuke to fumble over his words or to blush at his direct line of questioning but Sasuke wasn't phased at all. Sasuke merely scoffed,

"If you have time to waste on frivolous thoughts, use that time towards productive preparation for our expected attack. Only speak to me if it's related to our safe passage, not trivial matters."

At that, Sasuke turned away in utter disgust at the Lord. A man like that has no respect for himself nor the people he associates with. Best to shut him down completely. Sasuke then continued at a faster pace, as the food was getting cold and he needed to reach Sakura. The Lord, however, was so angry his face was as white as a sheet. He simply walked off to his room, stomping really, and locked himself in. Why were they so unbearable? Now the Lord doesn't believe they can handle the creature, and believes them to be fools to disrespect him! He should've known they were horrible! Lord Kousuke spent the rest of the night cursing the ninjas on his ship, wishing they had never agreed to this voyage.

* * *

After a time, Sasuke finally arrived with food. Sakura's eyes shone as he offered her her share. She gratefully accepted it from him and asked how the mess hall was; what was it like and the sort. Sasuke then told her about the ships cook, that she need not fear him for he is a good man. Sakura trusted Sasuke completely and took his words seriously. Once she heard the cooks story, she wanted to meet the man himself tomorrow morning. Sasuke agreed to accompany her, as he very much liked the man. The cook reminded him of Kakashi, who he valued in his youth, and to this day.

As the night dragged on, their late dinners completely eaten, they grew tired. It was already dawn, and so they decided to eat breakfast and get rest to patrol the upcoming night. They retreated down to the mess hall, and were greeted by the cook. He was as warm and honest as Sasuke has shared and Sakura enjoyed listening to him as his humor couldn't be matched nor his wisdom. He made them a great breakfast and wished them well as did they to him.

Afterwards, the Captain approached them,

"Sorry to interrupt, but we should be expecting the creature to attack soon. Be prepared."

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a few words with the Captain, explaining their plans and their preparations. The Captain nodded, impressed,

"Good. Let's hope we make it..." At that, he walked away towards the cook to grab his meal.

Sakura and Sasuke spent the rest of their meal time discussing the attack, going over what they've talked about previously. Everything was ready, they just needed the creature to...show up. The wait was the hardest part as the creature could attack at any time. But they were prepared.

As they turned in to their rooms, they again went over their strategies, looking at their graphs and notes strewn around the room.

Sakura was starting to doze off on the floor, similar to how she fell asleep the first night. Sasuke noticed and called her name,

"Sakura, if you're tired, get some rest." He said this in a ordering tone. Sakura scoffed,

"I am fine! I just wanted to make sure there weren't any bigger flaws in my plans that could cripple us. If one thing goes wrong, it could be hard to grab our footing to make a counterattack; _literally_."

She continued pouring over her designs and notes, feeling very nervous. Deep down she hoped this creature was nothing but a big joke gone out of control but she couldn't take the chance.

Sasuke, furrowed his brow, wishing Sakura decided to sleep. She was no good to him tired but watching her work harder only sparked his pride in her.

At one point she eventually felt exhausted. She put down her work and stood up, stretching loudly. Sasuke turned to look at her, as he was going over the strategies pinned on the walls. She yawned, then asked Sasuke,

"Aren't you tired...?" Her voice trailing a bit, yawning a second time. Sasuke rolled his eyes,

"You don't have to stay up, Sakura. You should sleep." Sasuke turned back to the walls, tracing his fingers across her designs. Sakura, however, didn't feel like sleeping if Sasuke was going to stay up working more. She needed to work just as hard, she can't be weak now. She sat back down to study her work again. Sasuke heard her and got annoyed. He didn't like that Sakura wasn't resting. She did this exact thing back in Konoha, and it got her hospitalized. He turned around, grabbed Sakura firmly by both of her arms and slowly forced her to rise.

Sakura was confused at this sudden physical contact, "Sasuke, what are you-?"

Sasuke let go of her and urged her to get some rest, "You need to take better care of your body, Sakura. If you're tired, you should sleep. Don't force yourself to stay awake."

Sakura blinked and frowned, retaliating, "And what about you? You need as much rest as me!"

She crossed her arms now, upset. What a fool he is, she thought. Sasuke always works hard and just when she tries to do the same, he wants to push her back. She just wants to...match him. She didn't appreciate his lack of approval. Sasuke, however, didn't like the fact that she was oblivious to her bodies needs. In normal circumstances he wouldn't have cared, but the creatures attack is expected to be soon. He cant afford to have her weak and incapable.

Ah, but hasn't she always been useless? Sasuke thought back to all the battles that involved Sakura, and in each one, she never redeemed herself. She showed potential, but she's acted so rash and it proved fleeting. She was smart, he knew that, but in battle it was as if all her senses were gone. She has embarrassed herself, and it boggles him that it hasn't made an impression on her. But he hoped she could prove herself in future battles... Despite his doubts.

He turned from her, upset, "Nevermind. Do as you like. I'm going outside."

He left, equipped with cloak and sword, slamming the door shut. Sakura fumed. How could he not understand her or her feelings?

She threw herself on her bed, covering herself. She didn't like fighting in any form between friends. All she wanted was to stay up working with Sasuke, but she can't even do that, can she? Sakura grew tired of the thought... How could she ever be his match? He would never see her as his equal. She will always be seen as someone who will...be weak in his eyes. The thought...crushed her. All she could do was lay in bed, angry and sad.

Meanwhile, Sasuke stood on deck, leaning against the railing. He was upset. How can Sakura be a fool, he thought. She will never learn from past mistakes. She can't even take care of herself in simple normal ways. Sasuke paused and suddenly felt as if he were babysitting. He sighed, exhausted. He didn't like that idea. Nor did he enjoy these unpleasant feelings he has towards Sakura. She made him feel as if he has to watch over her. To...protect her and he didn't enjoy it. He found it difficult to forget these feelings, he also found it difficult to think about. He was starting to regret her presence now. She's...growing on him.

After a time, he returned in to their room and found Sakura asleep in bed. He approached her bedside and saw across her face that there were dried up tears. Seeing them pinched his heart. Why, he knew not, but he felt responsible and in feeling so, felt...guilt that he felt only once before. He dampened a small towel and wiped them off her face gently as to not wake her. When he finished, he turned in for the night.

Hopefully things will be better later, Sasuke hoped.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story so far! I'm just as excited as you all are, haha. This was a fun chapter! Again, everyone thank you for your patience! *TuT*

 **Chapter 16**

Later that afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, straight into Sasuke and Sakura's cabin. They both were still asleep until, suddenly-

 _ **BOOM!**_

As soon as Sasuke felt himself suspended, he awoke and landed safely. Sakura did the same, only she clung to her sheets as her bed went into the air. As they landed they exchanged looks.

 _It was time._

They quickly readied themselves and headed on deck. The crew were pushing past them to get to safety below deck as they were instructed to when the Captain exchanged words with the ninjas previously at breakfast. However, neither anticipated an attack so soon and in broad daylight. As soon as the crew were out of the way, their frantic cries fading below them, they went to their patrol at the top of the ship to get a better view of the layout. Sakura was on standby beside the harpoons preparing to call on her chakra reserve using her Byakugou Seal while Sasuke clouded himself and Sakura with Susanoo.

As they waited, minutes pressed on. But soon enough, whatever it was, made an appearance.

A massive fin as big as a mast shot up from the sea in the distance from the ships' 9 o'clock at an alarming speed. It went straight towards the ship. Sasuke was calm but Sakura's nerves were on edge. She didn't think the creature was actually going to be real. Now that it is... She is really nervous. Without knowing the creature personally (from battle) it's hard to tell how to approach it let alone defeat it or kill it. Something like this is considered almost...godly? A myth from old tales told of gods based off mammals that protect certain boundaries, usually specific aspects of nature, or concerning troves of treasure hidden away, or certain types of values... All of these thoughts came rushing into Sakura's mind.

She was keeping herself open to any possibility. And because of that, they will win. She...believes in her work. Whether or not any of the above will be true they were about to find out.

The creature was closing in fast, it's fin getting closer, leaving enormous waves crashing into a wide 'V' behind it. Whatever they were dealing with was huge, bigger than they both anticipated. But neither Sasuke or Sakura doubted that they would fail. As the creature was only a few yards from the ship, it slowly dove itself beneath, waves crashing into the left of the ship, almost tipping it completely. The fact that it didn't...lead Sakura to believe that the creature likes to play with its food.

A few, nerve-wracking seconds ticked on by and almost immediately, the creature flew from the ocean straight into the sky blocking the sun.

It's body was slender and scaly with a slimy film. The texture appeared disgusting, glistening green and shades of blue. It's fin on it's back was huge and centered unlike its two arms on either of its sides. They were slim and arched back with claws at the tips of its fingers. It's tail, which was long and writhing in the air, smacked into different parts of the ship randomly with raw intensity. But most frightening was it's...face. It's face closely resembled that of a human one. It's human-like nose was big and slightly arched down, bringing attention to it's sharp teeth extending past it's huge human mouth. It's eyes were round and bloodshot with crazed rage. The sound it made...was bloodcurdling to hear even for Sasuke. It's sight and it's cry were equally terrifying and at that moment, they were taken aback, surprised at what they had just witnessed. The creature landed back into the ocean after leaping above the ship, it's scream continuing underwater.

"Sasuke! Was that real just now!?" Sakura yelled out over the crash. Sasuke was silent for a painful few seconds and answered,

"Stay calm! We must overcome this!"

Again, the creature was swimming swiftly, it's bulging body not even hindering it's mobility in the water. It's long slender neck emerged, it's face screaming still, it's eyes focused on the two ninjas staring directly at it. It came closer, faster now and rose itself up to scoop Sakura into it's widening mouth, it's claws digging into the side of the ship to keep itself steady. Sakura reacted quickly, focusing her entire chakra into the strength of her arms. She grabbed the harpoon closest to her and thrusted it straight into the creatures left eye that resulted in a burst of blood that fell on them and all over the ship in random spurts. It's blood was green and thick, it's stench almost unbearable to handle. Sakura's stomach churned both at the blood and the sight of this...monster. Sasuke merely wiped his face and took his chance to attack. He unsheathed his sword and with swift movements, slashed at the creatures face making effective damage. He retreated but jumped in again and landed on the creatures head, but the creature whipped his tail at him and sent him flying into the ship.

" _Sasuke!_ " Sakura yelled involuntarily. She turned her attention back to the monster, pulling in her right arm. She focused all her chakra into her fist and her arms, hoping this punch would hit home.

She yelled, so loud the creature was forced to look at her, which was what she needed. She leaped into the air and landed her fist square inbetween it's raging, ugly, eyes. The impact of it was so severe that the creature...imploded. The sheer impact sent bits flying back, into the ocean, it's cry fading into an ugly gargle. She purposefully made it so that it would deal internal damage but she didn't expect this result. The water and air surrounding the area almost stopped as if time paused itself to witness such strength. The creatures body fell onto the deck, and slid back into the ocean. Dead.

As Sasuke almost got thrown overboard, he returned in time to witness what just happened. The first thing he felt was...sheer relief. For the first time..he felt...fear. He dismissed it and neither said nor thought nothing else of it but deep down he knew what it was he truly felt. In the end, as he saw Sakura deal the finishing move, he felt a swelling pride within him towards Sakura and her abilities. Despite their argument, he knew she would pull through. She worked so hard, there wasn't exactly room for doubt and he was glad everything turned out alright. He returned to her side as the creatures body descended down into the depths.

He saw Sakura breathing, shaking as she watched the monster fall deeper away... He waited patiently to be noticed and when he was, in her eyes were sheer fear and sheer relief jumbled all over her face. But that soon disappeared. She jumped and yelled,

"I did it! I did it! Sasuke, did you see that!? It went PFFFT! Oh my god!" She was laughing, the setting sun glistening against her tears. She fell on her bottom, not being able to stop laughing. Sasuke could only smirk with her.

The creature was finished.

* * *

When she finally calmed down she couldn't stop feeling...great. She didn't move from where she fell. She sat there and admired the sun setting in front of them, her smile still at the corner of her lips. Sasuke stood beside her, also taking in the view.

A good while of silence passed between them mainly because neither knew what to say after such an...encounter. Sakura soon found herself exhausted, feeling the weight of it fall hard on her eyes. Eventually, she sat up and said,

"Now that we finished what we came here for, I deserve a good, long, undisturbed beauty sleep."

Sasuke didn't look away from the last of the sun that had less than an inch left to set beneath the ocean. He merely replied,

"...I didn't doubt you."

Sakura was in mid-stride as he said this. She stopped for a moment. Without turning her head, she said,

"Thank you..."

And at that moment, Sasuke felt something tug at his chest.

And all he could think as she walked away was,

 _No... Thank you._


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** I bet you're all like, What the fuck..? lmao. In any case, it can only get weirder, or cooler, if you're into that kind of thing. It's gonna get fun! Yay! Thank you everyone for being patient! Please, let me know what you think!

 **Chapter 17**

When the battle against that creature was settled, Sakura returned to their room to clean up and get rest. Meanwhile, Sasuke took it upon himself to order the crew to make emergency repairs (which weren't that bad, surprisingly, seeing as the creature was defeated before it could deal any real damage to the ship), and clean up on top deck. The men covered their faces with masks to keep from smelling the awful stench of the blood that surrounded the ship. All the men, including the Captain, pestered Sasuke to tell them what the creature was like, if it was anything like the rumors. All Sasuke said was,

"It is better that you do not know... If you heard it's cry, that should suffice."

And he'd walk away. Eventually the men stopped asking questions and waited for Sasuke's report to reach Lord Kousuke.

As they were cleaning the ship up, they anchored it to do repairs quickly without harsh waves tipping the ship. Soon after a few days, they were able to continue on schedule towards their destination. Lord Kousuke soon started to pester Sasuke as well about the details of the battle but Sasuke never described it, merely commented that Lord Kousuke would run away like a coward if he were to witness the creature himself and, at that, Lord Kousuke would just end up stomping away, giving up.

Sakura kept to herself majority of the time, not really leaving their room except to get their meals. Sometimes he brought them to her, as she didn't like the sailors bothering her about the battle. To be honest, she didn't want to think about it. Something that frightening...is forever burned into her memory. But all the while she didn't like any of what was happening. This voyage, the suspicious creature, the island... What are they about to get into? Are there more of these...monsters? When she thinks about it, the creature looked angry but it looked as if it endured great pain. She saw the intense stress in the brow of its face. She couldn't understand how it was possible for a creature like this to appear, let alone exist. Either it was a pure, rare phenomenon or they're dealing with something...beyond what she could imagine. She's been putting off this discussion with Sasuke, but felt it was about time to talk.

* * *

It was dinner and Sasuke was coming back from grabbing theirs. The Cook has been giving them generous amounts for keeping their promise of a safe voyage. The crew on board were feeling more light-hearted and relieved that the real problem was dealt with. Now they can enjoy the rest of the voyage without any more concerns.

Sasuke entered their room and handed Sakura her meal. She thanked him and began helping herself. She was looking at her work strewn around their wall. Sasuke watched her quietly. Eventually, Sakura broke the silence,

"Sasuke... That monster... Do you have any idea what it was? I am finding it hard to believe that it's a natural or rare phenomenon. Something about it doesn't sit well with me. It wasn't normal. Something...is wrong."

Her voice faltered, she was lost in her thoughts, theories forming in her mind. Sasuke shared her concerns but didn't have an answer either. He was as unsure as she was. However, he couldn't pass the idea that the creature...seemed deliberate. He shared this with Sakura, hoping she came to the same conclusion,

"This creatures existence...seems to be deliberate... Almost artifical. It isn't normal, nor do I think it's some rare phenomenon. Whatever the case, don't let your guard down even when you're with me. At this point, anything is possible. Earlier, I walked throughout the ship to read the memories of the crew, and Lord Kousuke's,"

Sasuke closed his eyes to forget what he saw in Lord Kousuke's memories as they were _appalling. Those positions should be illegal,_ Sasuke thought, "but they don't know anything about this."

Sakura agreed, "My thoughts exactly. This voyage reeks of suspicion, but mainly around our destination. I asked Lord Kousuke for more information about the island, but he only told me that the island was peaceful as were it's inhabitants that preferred to live in the country. However, he did mentioned hearing dark rumors rising before the attacks on previous ships. The island had apparently been cut off months before the attacks came; no one has heard of them for quite a time. Whatever is happening, I believe it will be on that island. I refuse to let this be just coincidence."

Sasuke nodded, "I also learned that the crew here are not affiliated with Lord Kousuke and the Captain. They were hired offhandedly in random locations. Some are familiar with each other but most are not. They've all been lured with promise of a large sum for payment for their work. I find this highly unsettling, as they only know as much as we do about the island. Right now we only have a day and a half before we reach our destination. In the meantime, we will wait. Do not trust Lord Kousuke or the Captain, understood?"

Sasuke knew he didn't have to worry about her, but all the same, he had to voice that important point. Everything about this voyage right now is putting him on _edge_. He didn't like it, nor did he like the fact that they have two minor suspects to be wary of. In response, Sakura nodded, knowing full well not to take the situation they're in lightly. She can't afford to make their suspicion obvious. Sasuke could keep himself cool and collected but Sakura found it harder for her. She can't ignore her feelings as well as Sasuke could. But she had to try.

* * *

After a day had passed, their voyage was drawing to a close. The island was seen far off in the distance, barely, like finding a black dot among the colorful colors and lights. They would reach the island in about 2-3 hours depending on the conditions, but if things were kept in check, they'd probably arrive faster. Sasuke and Sakura prepared themselves, bag and gear on them now. Everyone was on deck now, just waiting except for those manning the ship.

Sakura's anxiety was escalating. If there were more of these creatures... She wasn't looking forward to dealing with them. Sasuke felt the same, but he kept himself collected. In a time like this, he can't afford to let trivial fears keep him from focusing on...surviving.

While they were waiting, Lord Kousuke confronted both Sakura and Sasuke,

"Now, I would like to know what happened! Concerning the rumored serpent, I mean. You both refused to give any details, not even the crew knows any lick of detail. I demand to know what happened."

He crossed his arms, staring dead into Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke did not waver, and Sakura mainly felt left out. She waved her hand,

"Get a _**room**_ already."

Lord Kousuke turned his eyes on her next,

"I bet you just stood there looking pretty in the battle, you pink _thing_. I doubt you could have handled it."

He said it with crass. Sasuke glared now and was about to speak but Sakura beat him to it,

"You weren't even there! I'll have you know it was me who defeated it! With just my fist! All on my own... With a bit of help."

As she ended her defense, she glanced at Sasuke. Sasuke poked her in the forehead,

"That's right."

Sakura was caught off guard completely, blushing beet red. She could only huff. Lord Kousuke felt a twinge of jealousy and said,

"I don't believe you. Either way, I guess we'll never really know what happened."

Sakura blinked and they both watched Lord Kousuke walk away.

Little time was left to wait. Sakura sat on the railing, watching the island get closer and closer. Sasuke stood near, also watching the island approach. His mind wandered back to the creature and Sakura's final move. It was...amazing. He never thought Sakura's Byakugou Seal was that immense. Of course he's seen her strength in the past but now it appears she just grows stronger from here on. Her chakra control is brilliant in Sasuke's eyes. To master that takes intensive care and training, not to mention patience. Every time he saw the diamond mark on her forehead, he would recall memories of when she was younger. She hated her forehead, and now...it's practically a warning. At that, he laughed internally. He feels...honored to watch her grow.

He knows that what he's feeling...is what people would call 'liking' someone. He wouldn't call it love yet, but he recognized its presence within him. But he felt that he doesn't deserve to feel so light. This was his journey of redemption, and he still doesn't feel like he's even accomplishing that quite yet. He needs more...time. Before he can put a part of himself in someone else or let someone become a part of him and his life, he must first know...who he, himself, is. He needs to re-establish, or renew, himself. This will take time and hard work on his part. But all the while, he wondered if Sakura could possibly wait longer? He felt she could wait...infinitely for him, however, he didn't want to rely on that so much. Women's hearts are fickle things, or so he's heard. But deep down, he felt no need to worry.

Sakura sat on the railing, lost in a number of different thoughts. She felt so great about defeating the creature. She won herself a impressive victory. It boosted her self-confidence, which she needed so badly recently. And now that she feels...more complete she feels as though maybe she does have a chance to be recognized by Sasuke. She doesn't want to get stronger for the sake of being noticed by Sasuke. It's true that he is her...motivation, but she mostly wants to do so for herself. She wants to fully...love herself. And these victories, even minor ones, help so much. She can only hope to do better from here, to slowly love herself more as she furthers herself.. She hopes that Sasuke will come to look at her, too...

Until that happens, she is willing to wait until the end of time.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:** Thanks everyone for the positive feedback! Ya know, I actually just read _Sakura's Story_ (a book you'll find in the Manga section of Barne's  & Noble or maybe even at Comics 'N Stuff) and to be quite honest, do not look forward to any SasuSaku stuff because it is not present. It was a good read, though, Sakura was awesome; every bit of her you read in that book is great and fun! Just a recommendation in case you guys wanted a direct inside look of the two years after the War (When Sasuke left on his journey in his ugly pancho phase, blah blah).

Oh and another really important note, guys: usually when I don't update, I draw SasuSaku fanart to help me further the plot in my mind so I just wanted to share with you my deviantart so that, even though I'm not writing, I'm drawing cute SasuSaku shit ya'll might really like. I post my art on all my medias that can be found on my deviantart About Me. I just uploaded two sketches recently! Either PM me here directly for the link or just search Kristix (user is the same as mine here on fanfic). Thank you all for your patience! Enjoy ~

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

As they landed at the island's shore, they arrived at what seemed to be the port where trade and drop off's took place but the area was completely empty. There were small ships and boats hooked to the pier but they were showing signs of lacking maintenance and care. They were filthy and covered in sand, sea water, and seaweed. The crew disembarked, carrying what little supplies they had left, looking to replenish their revisions. Most of the crew wanted to head back home, and some were waiting to bring up their payment so as to head home quickly. They were all eager to leave the island, for the island appeared barren and creepy for no one was to be seen throughout the entire shore. The crew felt an unsettling...presence, like a shadow, that cast itself throughout the island. Unknowingly, the crew shared the same alarming suspicion that Sakura and Sasuke had the remainder of the trip after the creatures attack.

Sasuke and Sakura were the last to disembark. They were keeping a close eye on the crew and on their two suspects. Sakura spotted the Captain (who's name she learned was Shimura) and Lord Kousuke whispering to one another in sharp whispers before reaching the island. She couldn't listen to what they've said but they seemed to be arguing. When she informed Sasuke, his expression wasn't happy.

"Be ready for anything."

Sakura nodded. Together they scouted the shore and the empty stores and markets along the coast. As they entered each building, they were either empty, or everything was destroyed in some sort of...disaster or tragedy. There were some remains they've found that appeared very gruesome, but barely recognizable as the remains were already in decay. Behind them, scatter members of the crew did the same and noticed the damages and casualties, which only appealed to their fear and suspicions. Sasuke and Sakura overheard the men arguing that they were brought to an island of death and should leave the island immediately. They stomped towards the ship where Lord Kousuke and Captain Shimura stood, writing on a clipboard. Together, they followed the crew back.

The crew rose in an uproar, demanding to leave the island immediately, each man yelling their fears and concerns at the Captain and Lord Kousuke. Sasuke and Sakura stood in the rear, quietly observing the event. The Cook joined them,

"Is it true what they're saying? That something murdered the peaceful islanders..?"

Sasuke faced him with a grim expression, "Unfortuantely, yes. Don't worry. If anything happens, we'll be near."

Sakura nodded, seeing the Cook's face falter in disbelief,

"If we were able to handle the serpent creature, then we can handle whatever may be on this island. Please, be patient. I'm sure we'll leave soon."

The Cook shared a small smile,

"I pray we live, my dear. For whatever this dark shadow is that resides on this island...seems happy that we've reached its land."

At that, they couldn't respond. They silently agreed, and continued to wonder how Lord Kousuke and the Captain would handle the uproar of the crew.

Lord Kousuke yelled out above the crew, his voice bellowing in the wind,

"I understand your concerns, men. Everything you have worked for will be paid in full. However, my quest is not quite finished yet. We cannot leave the island until I've obtained the artifact. IF I do not obtain said artifact, _no one will be paid_ , and will go home empty-handed; a wasted trip. Do not be afraid. We have our body guards with us,"

He paused to motion towards Sasuke and Sakura,

"With their aid, I believe we will leave within the week. In the meantime, find whatever provisions and resources you can find and bring them to the ship so that we have a comfortable way back home."

Everyone cursed under their breaths and reluctantly followed his orders. The Cook frowned and shook his head,

"A week..."

The Cook stomped off to join the crew in their search. Sakura and Sasuke didn't like the sound of that either, but they found it to be enough time to figure out what was happening.

* * *

They approached Lord Kousuke after the crew cleared the area. He greeted them with a frown,

"I assume you have questions?"

Sasuke was furious, "Who are you?"

Sakura took a minute to understand what he mean't and at that moment she caught Lord Kousuke's change in behavior and attitude. He was smiling and it grew into a laugh,

"I let you read my mind just now on purpose; now this is when things are going to get tough."

Sasuke glanced at Sakura and sighed, "He's on a hunt, but not for a relic. For a man. Everything about the relic and his father was a lie. This man is a mercenary."

Sakura looked back at Kousuke, "So is your name really your name? It'd also be nice to know you faked being a pervert."

Kousuke laughed, "Don't worry, my name is Kousuke and I am not a pervert. It was all to keep you from knowing my plans. Especially from you, Sasuke Uchiha. I know who you are and I know what you can do, so I had to fill my thoughts with...things you find unpleasant. Also, Shimura is a good friend of mine; one hell of a sailor, if you were curious. I guess you want to know who my boss is?"

Sasuke waited, brows furrowed. Kousuke shrugged, "You wouldn't have known either way, but there was a gathering at the Five Kage Summit; all Five Kage were present. They heard the rumors coming from the Land of Water, which the Sixth Mizukage Chōjūrō explained thoroughly. The very rumors he explained were the very ones you heard that brought us here in the first place. At least one was true so far but I don't like the look of this island. It reeks of death and ill omen. Sixth Mizukage said that a mad man, who was imprisoned, escaped. The man who escaped was...Jinjuro Akaike."

Sakura let out a small gasp in recognition of the name, "Of all the people we're taking down, it has to be that rotten scientist!"

She folded her arms, worried. Sasuke stared at her, unfamiliar with the man and his criminal history. Kousuke nodded,

"So you do know who he is? Good. That saves me the trouble."

Sasuke paused then said, "This man... What has he done?"

Kousuke glanced at Sakura. Sakura then looked at Sasuke intensely, frowning as she explained, "That man is pure evil Sasuke. I had no idea he was still even alive. I don't know if you remember or knew but when we were Genin, there was news of missing people all over the Land of Water until eventually people were attacked by unknown creatures. Eventually they traced all the missing people to a hidden away cave; Akaike was a scientist, and he experimented on humans and animals alike but he advanced so much on his experiments that his 'subjects' were mutated into terrifying monsters. He converged man and animal using extreme amounts of chakra and chemicals... This man isn't a man, Sasuke. The process was beyond any understanding of pain; and there was no way to bring back the people they've lost. They were forced to put them all down. It was a very emotional time for the Land of Water,"

Sakura paused then brought her attention to Kousuke, "But I thought Akaike was sentenced to death. Can you explain why he's not dead?"

Kousuke scratched his cheek, "I'm not too sure on the details either. We can confront the Sixth Mizukage after we kill him though."

Sasuke adjusted his cloak, "But why have they sent you? You must be someone of some higher level of skill to be given a mission like this."

Kousuke laughed, "Well-put. I may be a mercenary, but only on my spare time. I was raised in the Land of Water. During the time that mad man was doing his experiments, my mother became one of those people...made into those things... She was gone so fast, just One night, and she was gone. Like that. Since his arrest and supposed sentence, I put myself to work. I did hunting jobs, sea expeditions, etc. I became so skilled at what I do the Sixth Mizukage recognized it and believed I was best suited to hunt down Akaike as a representative of the Land of Water. Normally, I wouldn't have gone through with this, but... Let's just say I owe Chōjūrō. In any case, I'm bringing my tranq-guns, assault rifle, machine gun and my trusty revolver. Oh, and grenades. Can't forget those!"

As Kousuke rummaged through his things, Sakura couldn't believe he lost his mother to such a cruel man. Sakura reached out and touched his arm,

"I'm sorry about your mother.. I promise we'll bring Akaike down."

Kousuke paused to look at her, and saw the sadness for his loss, the pain for his hardships... It was an honest and sincere expression that made him feel warm. Kousuke smiled as he pulled his pack and gear on, patting Sakura on the shoulder as he passed her by. He paused for a second and whispered to Sasuke,

"You have yourself a real woman. Don't let her slip through your fingers, mate."

Sasuke glanced at him walking ahead towards the jungle then back at Sakura, and could only close his eyes in annoyance. _Even strangers can't refrain from telling me these things,_ Sasuke thought, annoyed.

Sakura adjusted her cloak and followed Kousuke, waving at Sasuke to hurry up. Sasuke slowly rolled his eyes and reluctantly followed.

Sakura slowed her steps to join Sasuke,

"Sasuke... To be honest, I'm really scared of what we'll be up against. This explains that sea monster we dealt with... I can still remember its screams... I just hope we can accomplish this mission quickly."

Sasuke gently pushed her with his shoulder, "You can handle it, remember."

With that, he left her behind, catching up with Kousuke. She paused for a moment, confidence booming inside her. She caught up with them, the lot of them entering the foliage of the vast, tall jungle that blanketed the island.

 _I can handle it. We can handle it. Together...we can do this._


	19. Chapter 19

**Note:** hello everyone! I'm so very sorry for the wait ToT! Life got in my way again, I'm going to update more often from now. Thank you all for being so patient TuT! Heads up, sorry if I make any simple spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes. I'm writing the fic from a tablet. So believe me I know they might be there, haha. Anyway, Thank you! Enjoy!

 **Chapter 19**

As the trio entered the jungle, their only clue as to where they'd find Akaike was to just follow the trail of a horrible stench. As they traveled deeper and deeper, they came across odd...liquids strewn randomly around the jungle. Eventually they came across piles and piles of corpses belonging to animals. Whether they were used in experiments or just...eaten they couldn't tell, they were all torn to shreds. Sakura couldn't stand the smell nor the sight. It tugged at her heart to witness such brutality towards innocent animals.

They all wore masks to help with the smell at that point. The smell was enough to make you gag.

Three hours into their trek they decided to take a break as it was already noon.

Sakura didn't like the way the forest looked. It was dark and dreary, not lush and vibrant. It was also very quiet, not one bird call to be heard echoing around. It was chilling, not just for her, but the men, too. Sasuke felt on edge their entire hike. There was no shaking off this feeling at the back of his mind. Kousuke didn't seem to mind it too much. But you could tell he hated every second of being in that jungle. It took him back to a terrible time and he didn't enjoy a walk down memory lane. In any case, after twenty minutes they continued on, further until eventually, no sunlight could shine through the trees.

The darkness was almost overwhelming, but thankfully they could all see well enough to manage. Kousuke had a dagger on him, using it to cut through vines but Sakura didn't bother. She used the environment to get through, thinking that using her Kunai knife would be a waste of time. She wanted to deal with this quickly. Sasuke occasionally sliced through some vines in front of him because some were truly thicker than his forearm. It started to become a nuisance.

As small as the island seemed, it was rather enormous. As they traveled through, they noticed that some of the trees were once abundant in fruits and the ground once full of herbs and the like, but with all this awful liquid, it made the plants wither and die and the trees leaning and grey. Sakura loved trees and plants in general and walking through all of it made her cringe. She would've liked to know what grew here and seeing it turn out like this wasn't exactly what she'd hoped.

As the day grew darker, they found a somewhat comfortable patch of vines piled on the floor shrouded by declining trees. Sakura was nervous the trees might fail and fall on them but Sasuke shook his head, reassuring her that they'll be fine. As they camped up, they failed to make a fire, as the jungle was too wet and damp. Sasuke preferred no fire anyway. He didn't want to attract the attention of anything or anyone lurking in the jungle.

Sasuke told Sakura and Kousuke to sleep first.

As hours went by, until it was almost dawn, Sakura eventually woke up. She looked around her, seeing Kousuke still snoring. She just smirked and stood up, patting herself down knocking away all the debris. She looked up and searched around for Sasuke. She eventually saw him sitting high up on the tree beside them. It was a strong tree, it's trunk thick and sturdy. She smiled and jumped up to join him. She was suddenly nervous but tried to shake it off. She stood beside him quietly for a minute or so, watching the patches of moonlight shining through the trees. It was pretty, if at all slightly. Eventually, she broke the silence,

"Hey, Sasuke. Do you want to switch and rest now? You should've woken us up earlier if you were tired."

She knelt down, and sat, waiting for him to respond. She could barely see his face but with the moonlight shining in, it helped her see the outline of his chin. He turned to look at her for a moment and back to the jungle,

"I'm not tired, I'm restless. This jungle is dangerous."

Sakura nodded, "I feel the same. I couldn't sleep for what seemed like ages. If I did, it didn't feel like sleep."

Sasuke nodded slightly, "It's been bothering me for awhile, how quiet this jungle is. There is nothing here, not even insects. It's unsettling. But what's been keeping me awake all this time is...we're not alone."

Sakura turned to look at him, a flash of terror screaming across her chest. She did not want to make any contact with more...creatures. She was hoping with all her heart that their current apparent mission would be quiet but alas, how could it be.

"Really? Since when, Sasuke?"

Sasuke sighed, "Stay calm. It's been following us since we began, however, it may not be attacking us just yet but it is hostile. It's probably waiting for an opportunity. I can barely sense it's presence."

Sakura turned her attention to the vast blackness that surrounded them. Even as dawn arrived, it barely provided enough light. As more and more light came in, Sakura gasped, both her and Sasuke sprung to their feet. Sakura could barely breathe. They both could see it, a wide slender body that looked slick and leathered moved ever so slowly. This, at first glance, looked like a snake, but the only reptiles close to this enormous size would be anacondas, but this is the first time Sakura ever saw one this size. It was too enormous, no snake is able to achieve this size, it's impossible. This reptile was more than 30 feet long, it's body wide. But what was most unsettling was the fact that they saw the face of this creature. Using its brown green skin to camouflage itself against the jungle almost made it impossible to notice before. The creatures face wasn't normal. It's eyes bulged, the tip of its nose was too pointed and narrow and the teeth protruding from its mouth were terrifying, sharp and ragged. As it stared at them, they knew it would strike soon.

Sasuke, sweating, spoke quietly,

"Sakura, jump higher as it strikes. I'll grab Kousuke."

He glanced at her for her response but he didn't receive one. She was frozen, paralyzed. He cursed as he grabbed her and plummeted down towards Kousuke. The creature shrieked as it moved so quickly towards their branch. It's massive mouth stretched open, snapping down with such force it broke the branch they had just stood on. Sakura snapped out of it, pushed herself away from Sasuke and helped him grab Kousuke. Just before it could strike fast, they jumped out from their camp. Kousuke woke up immediately, his pistol in its pocket, he grabbed it and made a few key shots as they carried him to a distant space enough for all of them to react in time for the next attack. Kousuke reached into his pack for his rifle, loaded it quickly and aimed for the creatures face, taking any shots he could land.

Sakura jumped up, cursing at herself. She almost got themselves into trouble. She racked her brain for a way to defeat the creature until it suddenly came to her.

"Kousuke, me and Sasuke will distract the creature! I need you to get behind it and shoot it in the back of the head!"

Kousuke shouted in affirmation as he jumped out of the way into a run. The creature was about to follow but she threw her Kunai. It reared it's ugly head and snapped at her. She just barely dodged its attack in time to reach Sasuke. She almost lost her footing in the trees, but he grabbed her and secured her beside him. Losing her breath, she tried to speak but Sasuke hugged her to carry her and dodged the next attack. The creatures shrieks piercing the air in intense rage rang in their ears, taunting them, daring them to try and survive. Sasuke got high enough for Sakura to speak in a hurried panic,

"Sasuke, reptiles hate fire, use fire! W-we can use the fire to back it towards Kousuke!"

Sasuke grabbed her again to dodge it's next attack. It was angry and far more malicious than before. It's growing impatient and Sasuke knew what Sakura was planning. He smirked as he used his fire breath technique. The creature, taken by surprise, lunged it's body backwards. Sakura then threw her Kunai attached with tag bombs to corner it onto a specific path towards their gun ready companion. The creature writhed in anger at this new challenge and screeched so loudly, so shrilly, they were forced to cover their ears. Seizing its opportunity to strike, it lashed forward, it's mouth open and ready to snap on Sakura.

Kousuke, meanwhile at that precise moment, took his shot. It landed and hit home and in that moment, the creature's head exploded.

The bullet infused bomb was so strong, the force of it reached Sakura. Her body was flung back, flying through dead branches and vines. Her body landed hard against a tree trunk, knocking the air out of her lungs as she fell, limp and unconscious. Sasuke yelled out her name, searching for her. He followed the path of broken branches until eventually he found her. She laid on her back, smothered in debris. He jumped down, Sakura already in his palms.

He wiped her face with his hand, her face covered in splinters and cuts. He checked her pulse, and after a moment, exhaled in relief. He wrapped her into his cloak, carrying her across his chest, her head cradled against his neck. Kousuke, who was out of breath, finally reached them.

"I-I'm sorry! Oh god, I didn't think the explosion would reach her. Is she okay?"

He walked closer and as he approached, Sasuke punched him square into his left cheek. Kousuke lost his footing and fell down, holding his face. Before he got up, Sasuke was already walking ahead. Eventually Kousuke got up,

"Okay, I deserved that. I agree. Yes."

He trailed a few feet behind as he didn't want to get a second punch. He rubbed his cheek, silently hoping Sakura was alright.

Sasuke was seething with anger. How could he not have been more careful? It would obviously take a stronger bomb to finish the monster, and yet he couldn't measure the distance between it and Sakura? What an absolute idiot, Sasuke thought.

"I have to get her somewhere safe. Let's look for a cave."

Kousuke groaned in reply, still rubbing his cheek.


	20. Chapter 20

**Note:** hi everyone! Here is another chapter I prepared for you. I actually plan to submit the next chapter tonight. However, if I can't submit tonight, it will definitely be submitted tomorrow. I will submit lots of chapters this week as a sorry and thank you for reading! I also added a bit extra to this chapter!

*u* Enjoy!

 **Chapter 20**

They searched for any cover they came across until eventually, they couldn't. Sasuke was frustrated. He put Sakura down comfortably, and proceeded to knock down some trees. Kousuke, startled by the sudden energy, put his bag down,

"So… What exactly are you doing?"

Sasuke, lifting up a log, sighed and huffed,

"If we can't find cover, I'll make cover."

Kousuke was surprised at Sasuke's strength and at his sudden care for his lady friend. In just a few moments, he joined him, helping make good cover.

As they were working for about little over an hour, Kousuke sat down, tired. He looked over at Sasuke who seemed to not be without more and more energy. He drank some water,

"Where did you learn how to do this? I'm impressed. Is this something they teach you in your village?"

Sasuke half-smiled, proud of himself a bit,

"Not exactly. Before Sakura joined me, I learned this on my personal travels."

His voice trailed off. He continued to work for a bit longer until eventually he felt his work was finished. He tilted each log inward enough, tying them tightly using thick vines to hold them together. He then used whatever leaves and debris he found as cover and as comfort. He used branches for their roof to hold up the leaves for shelter. When he felt it won't falter, he picked up Sakura and placed her in the driest corner. Soon after, it started to drizzle then it began to rain.

Sasuke sighed in relief as his work proved very useful. Truthfully, he learned this from helping all those small villages and towns to rebuild lost homes or new ones. He's very thankful for it, looking back, as it proved to be of great use now.

As it began to rain heavily, Kousuke brought out a great black tarp roll and tied it just above their camp so as the rain wouldn't ruin Sasuke's hard work. Sasuke was impressed at how much Kousuke could fit in his pack. He could tell Kousuke was prepared for every occasion. Kousuke then took all their water sacks and decided to refill them using the rain. Sasuke thanked him for the thought and asked him to stay near, in case of further creatures lurking around. Kousuke laughed,

"Don't worry, I'll be close. I'll let you know if I see something."

Sasuke nodded and watched him leave.

He turned his attention back to Sakura. He pulled out a lantern and lighted it dimly. It shone brightly enough to carefully tend to her. He pulled his hair back as it began to stick to his face and grew annoying.

As he cared for her, he did his best, carefully removing splinters and going through his pack to find gauzes and such to tend to her bleeding that resulted from deeper gashes. He didn't do much as he knew Sakura could heal herself afterwards but he at least wanted her to be comfortable. He removed stray branches and leaves from her hair and patted it down. Deep down he knew how much she cared for her hair. He's surprised she kept it short all his time.

He then sat quietly, finally having time to think about what transpired. As usual, Sakura's knowledge is still vast as he remembered. He's grateful for her quick thinking. It alarmed him how fast the creature moved. They barely dodged its attacks. They were lucky it didn't attack consecutively. In the end, if Sakura hadn't told them what to do, they'd probably be in a tight spot. However there is one thing he'd like to ask her.

As time passed, the rain didn't cease. He checked Sakura's temperature; she was starting to get a fever. After being attacked and then barely surviving a bomb, he's not surprised. She was cold and burning up. He took it upon himself to keep her warm. He readjusted himself and took Sakura into his arms. He wrapped her in her cloak and again in his. He then tore a piece of his sleeve, bundled it and wet it using the rain. He then placed her on his lap, holding her while holding the wet bundle against her forehead. He held her close, keeping her warm with his warmth.

In any event, he was worried. He was tired but wouldn't dare sleep. All he could think about was Sakura. Everything else seemed blank and trivial. He stared at her closely, moving strands of her hair from her face. Her cheeks grew pink from the fever. He sighed, and held her closer. When the explosion happened, all he could think about was her, if she was alive, if she survived… He couldn't bare the thought of losing her. He lost so much and to think he almost lost her. What would happen then? Who would wait for him? Who would smile his way? Who would...annoy him?

He leaned back, his hand caressing her face unconsciously. Sakura has always mattered to him, but now it's a new feeling beyond his comprehension. He was starting to wonder if this is how she felt...towards him. How could she have ever stand this feeling all these years? How did she ever stand the pain that came with it? He could barely deal with the fact that it exists!

'Women are strong,' he suddenly concluded.

A few hours went by and eventually, Sakura opened her eyes. She moved slightly in his arms as she gained consciousness. Sasuke felt her and sat up straight, holding her carefully. She rubbed her eyes, slowly sitting up. He watched her, wondering if she was truly fine. Her vision finally returned along with a painful headache. She grew dizzy, unknowingly supporting herself against Sasuke's chest. She closed her eyes for a short while to wait for the headache and ringing in her ears to cease. Sasuke removed the wet bundle, placing it beside him. He then held her, his hand in her hair.

Sakura couldn't hear for a while, all she heard was a ringing in her ears. Eventually the painful ringing and headache started to recede enough for her to get a sense of where she was. She felt someone's hand against her face. She put her hand on top of theirs, feeling such great relief. She was finally able to breathe steadily. She opened her eyes slowly, squinting slightly from the pain that remained. As her vision cleared, she saw that Sasuke was the person who was holding her closely.

Sasuke slowly let go to look directly at her. As she stared at him doe-eyed, he checked her temperature with the back of his hand,

"Sakura, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Sakura blinked, and suddenly felt her face flush. Sasuke noticed her growing more pink and suppressed a smirk. He brushed his thumb across her cheek,

"Are you in any pain? I did what I could after the explosion, but I think you can take care of yourself better than I can."

Sakura blinked again and closed her eyes. The throbbing in her head was returning. She held her head, squinting. She then felt Sasuke's hand, but she couldn't care enough about that to remove herself from such a...pleasing spot. His hands felt strong and warm, a relief for her really. Sasuke readjusted Sakura in his lap,

"I'll hold you for as long as you need."

Hearing such gentle words from Sasuke was so surreal for her. His voice was smooth and quiet, as Sasuke usually is. But it felt different and she loved it. She loved this sudden attention and care. She loved it as much as it confused her. She wanted to stay like this forever, or for at least as long as this mission allowed. However, she doesn't remember what happened. She just remembered a white flash and everything going black. And suddenly the love of her life is holding her as if she were the same for him. His touch was so naturally affectionate and intimate.

Sasuke did not feel a ounce of embarrassment. He will take responsibility for his current actions and act accordingly. If Sakura dislikes it, by all accounts, he will stop. All she needs to do is ask. However, a part of him silently wishes to keep her with him longer.

Sakura's voice was quiet but he could hear her,

"What happened?"

Sasuke ran his hand through her hair once,

"Kousuke shot the creature, but in the bullet was a strong explosive. It exploded and you were caught in it…"

Sakura opened her eyes fully and straightened herself,

"That explains this immense headache and ringing in my ears. Do you have water?"

Sasuke nodded, grabbing a water sack left behind for her. He handed it to her and she drank it slowly. She squinted, her headache refusing to recede. She readjusted herself, her back facing Sasuke now. She supported her face with her hands, breathing heavily from the pain.

Sasuke patiently waited for her.

After minutes passed, Sakura eventually tapped into the reservoir of her chakra, using it to heal her wounds. She healed her headache as best as she could afterwards. Finally, she sighed in deep relief of the pain she was in, leaning back into Sasuke's chest. She forgot he was there completely. Before she could react, he leaned forward, his hands trailing up to hers. He grasped them, and sighed. His head fell forward, his breath touching the nape of her neck. Sakura didn't have the energy to move or bring herself to care about moving from Sasuke. As embarrassed as she was, she was reveling in the sudden intimacy. She leaned her head against his. Taking advantage of the situation, she turned her head and gently kissed Sasuke's cheek,

"Thank you."

Her forehead leaned against his face, her breathing even. Sasuke, who was caught off guard, moved slightly. He realized she fell asleep. He figured that would happened, considering she healed herself. In her relief, she felt the need to rest more. He smiled, something he didn't think he'd find himself doing. He held her more closely and leaned into her hair, placing a gentle affectionate kiss of his own in return.

Kousuke, meanwhile, gathered all the water they would need. He also brought some traps with him, leaving them around their camp at different distances. He activated them and built them himself, leaving triggers that would notify him if something or someone was nearby.

All the while making stops at the camp in between Sakura being unconscious. Eventually, he got the hint to give them some privacy.

So, he decided to take a little walk. As a few hours went on, he was searching for any time of food but he ended up returning to camp empty-handed.

However, on the way back, a trigger went off.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

An hour after Sakura slept, she finally awoke. It had stopped raining and she was still in Sasuke's arms. She rubbed her eyes, and sat up. She stopped and turned around, only to see Sasuke staring at her. His eyes didn't look away, nor did they waver. But Sakura wasn't as strong as him. She looked away, blushing, unsure of what to do in her situation. His eyes stared hard, his eyes cool and full. It was mesmerising, the way he stared at her unafraid like that.

Eventually, Sasuke took it upon himself to speak first,

"Are you finished sleeping?"

Sakura blushed, "Definitely."

Sakura rose and stood on her feet. She rose a little too quickly, and almost lost her footing but Sasuke rose in time to catch her. Sakura shook him off,

"I'm perfectly capable, thank you."

All the while she was blushing more than Sasuke has ever seen her. He did find himself to feel somewhat the same, however not as strongly. Sasuke then equipped his cloak, handing Sakura's to her. Sakura grabbed it and did the same. She couldn't find it in her to say anything at all but she had much to ask. She thought it was all a dream until she woke up where she was, still laying against….him. She knew she had to say one thing at least,

"Sasuke… thank you. For taking care of me. You didn't have to."

He was packing their things as she said this. He turned to glance at her, smirking,

"Yeah, I know."

Sakura looked away in a huff. What a guy, she thought. She crossed her arms. Sasuke then handed her her things. She reached to take them but he held them,

"You're welcome…"

He let go and looked at her in a way she never experienced from him. She thought it was weird, it almost made her cringe a bit but after a moment she found that that look was when she found him most handsome. She couldn't stop herself from smiling in response. Sasuke sighed,

"Do you remember clearly?"

Sakura nodded,

"From what you told me, I was caught in the explosion. So I guess it's safe to assume my plan worked….haha…"

Sasuke nodded,

"Yes. Good work…"

He's not usually good at complimenting people so it felt awkward but Sakura knew it was sincere and a bit odd but all the same. A few moments afterwards, Sasuke remembered something,

"Earlier, when we discovered the creature, why did you freeze like that?"

Surprised, Sakura felt somewhat ashamed, but she didn't expect what happened to hit her that way. Sakura took a deep breath and exhaled,

"I froze because… It reminded me of our Chunin exams back then, when we first encountered Orochimaru. You probably don't remember much, I think. After he...gave you that mark, you were unconscious and in pain, as was Naruto. It was that time when we were paralyzed back then that I suddenly couldn't move. When you barely saved me… you both were unconscious and I had to do everything I could to keep you guys safe. In the end it worked out, I think. I'm sorry, I'm rambling, it was a long time ago, it won't happen again, haha…"

Sasuke remembered. He remembers gaining consciousness, and feeling immense power at that time. When he saw Sakura beaten up the way she was… something in him snapped and he knew he had to protect her.

He scoffed in slight disbelief at himself. Even back then he felt drawn to her. He returned her gaze and smirked,

"I see. Don't worry."

Sakura turned away in embarrassment. What a time to be alive, she thought. But now Sakura felt inclined to ask Sasuke a few questions.

"Sasuke, can I ask you something?"

Sasuke nodded as he equipped his belt and sword,

"Hn."

Sakura took a moment,

"Why did you…?"

She gestured a hug and waved her hands. Sasuke looked past her. He didn't know how to respond. He took a moment then returned her expression, and tapped her on the forehead. Sakura blinked, then crossed her arms confused. She was about to press him but suddenly they heard a noise in the distance.

They paused. They waited and listened. They heard running and waited to see what was coming.

A few minutes passed and Kousuke appeared, panting,

"Something, is, close!"

He said in between breaths. He explained that he left traps around their camp, exactly twenty minutes away in all directions. Then he explained his urgency,

"One of the triggers were set off. But it worries me. This trap came from the direction where the ship is anchored. I don't want to assume the worst but…"

Sakura nodded,

"Let's check it out. Quickly."

Sasuke agreed,

"Grab your things."

Once they got their gear together they set off towards the trap. Twenty minutes passed and they heard men screaming. They hurried over, hearing the screams coming from above them. They looked up but sighed in relief at the sight.

Kousuke laughed,

"I seem to have caught a few of our crew! Let's help them down."

The men fell into a high net trap Kousuke built. They dangled above them, attempting to wring the net apart. As they helped the men down, they all began talking at once. Yelling in a panic.

A creature attacked the crew.

With the men, they hurried back to the ship. As they made their way back, Sakura marked down trees in case they needed to return. Apparently, while listening to the men, the creature attacked a few hours after they had left.

It took a few hours before they finally returned to the ship. As they finally approached the shore, Sakura gasped. The few crew cried, and Kousuke ran through yelling Shimura's name. Sakura looked away, the scene was too...gruesome. She started to feel sick. Sasuke headed towards the ship, relieved to see it not too damaged.

He then turned to look at the shore.

It was smeared with blood and scattered...parts. The attack may have happened a day ago, but the Shores water still soaked the beach in red. Sakura joined him, using his stature to cover the scene she didn't want to look at. Sasuke voluntarily stood in front of her. Sasuke knew there were no survivors. But Kousuke didn't want to believe his dear friend may have been slaughtered. The few crew returned to the ship, solemn and full of deep sadness and terror. Sakura asked them to stay in the ship and to ration the rest of their food. She advised them it's best to stay quiet and out of sight. The crew agreed,

"You are the only pretty thing we've seen on this island since we've arrived. Be careful, lass."

Sakura smiled,

"I didn't think to heal any injuries you may have endured. Show me anything that's bothering you."

The men sighed in gratitude as she tended to them. Sasuke smiled slightly as he could see she gave people hope. He then turned his attention to Kousuke on deck. He was leaning against the railing, refusing to believe his friend is dead. Sasuke appeared behind him,

"I'm sure you noticed that half of the crew are missing. If we can find Akaike in time, we may be able to save them…"

Kousuke groaned in response,

"You know as well as I do that isn't true."

Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance,

"We won't know until we find him. Let's go. I'll get Sakura."

As soon as Sakura finished healing any wounds the remaining crew had, she returned on deck. She avoided the sight of the shore. She's seen terrible things and she knew it wouldn't stop until they've killed Akaike. She couldn't wait to get away from the island and it's horrors. She decided to go towards the other end of the ship, facing away from the shore. She still couldn't stomach the scene. She leaned against the railing, finally taking a chance to breathe but all she could smell was blood in the ocean air. She scrunched up her nose in disgust. Everything was terrible.

She was only allowed a minute to herself before Sasuke appeared near her. He walked up beside her, and nudged her shoulder,

"We have to end this, quickly."

She nodded,

"I know. I heard. There is a slim chance the half that are missing may still be alive. We should leave before it gets darker."

Together they joined Kousuke and again, began their search. However, this time was much more easier than their previous hike. There was a trail of blood, distinct and awful, that lined the sand and continued onto trees and foliage in the jungle. Sakura suppressed the impulse to gag as they followed.

Three hours on their path, it was starting to grow dark. Sakura shivered not from the cold but from what could be hiding as the jungle grew darker. As the hike dragged on, moonlight shone through patches of branches and leaves, providing enough light for them to manage. Slowly but eventually, Sakura ended up bumping into Sasuke more than once without realizing. She didn't want to stay behind or walk to close outside their bee line. As a result, Sasuke ended up being treated as a regular kick bag. At which point he stopped, making Sakura bump into him for the 10th time. He turned around slowly to glare.

Sakura apologized profusely, waving her hands in worry. Sasuke grunted, grabbing Sakura's hand mid-wave, dragging her along. Sakura grew pink, but felt much safer.

Later, the path left them at a dead end, or so they thought. The trio then searched nearby for any hidden entrances or the like.

Eventually, Sasuke came across a wide open space. He didn't realize it at first but the space then condensed itself to a smaller trampled line. It was a new path. They followed it and to their great surprise, it lead them to a set of stone stairs. There, it led them directly to the islands Temple at the center of the island's jungle.

The temple looked like it was a revered shrine, but from recent activity it lost its beauty and looked ragged and covered in mold. Sakura sighed, disappointed in seeing a beautiful building afflicted by recent events. But they all knew that it was possible for Akaike to be inside.

They approached the temple cautiously. Kousuke scouted ahead for any traps and the like, only to return and warn them not to go outside of the stone steps. Together they continued until they reached the arch pillars before the temple. In front of the arch was two statues that appeared to take on the shape of dragons. Sakura touched one but to her disgust, she accidentally touched blood. She examined it and turned to the others,

"This is the place. This is the trail we followed earlier. This is where it leads."

As they confirmed it, they then looked for another way inside being mindful of nearby traps and ditches. Kousuke went around east of the temple as he noticed a decaying wall. He waved the others over, guiding them through,

"We can get in this way. Help me."

Sasuke then helped him kick down the broken wall enough for them to slide through. As they entered the temple, Sakura could barely contain herself. The temple was embroidered in intricate marble lines that clothed the entire interior of the temple. Many colors swirled and waved across the walls and ceilings, reflecting the moonlight. Kousuke leaned towards them,

"This island dedicated such extreme care to this temple. It was a sacred place of worship and love... Such a shame to see a beauty in this state."

As they carefully continued, they came across a long hallway that was so eerily dark. The atmosphere wasn't exactly helpful in that regard, but the trio were determined to face this evil madman.

As they paced through, a sudden enormous boom echoed throughout the temple. Tracing the source of the noise, they broke into a run. As they reached further into the temple, there was a staircase leading below. They didn't stop. They eventually came across a wide door, covered in many...unpleasant things. Blood caked onto the marbled floor, fresh and old. They anticipated this, and were ready.

They gave each other one last look...

Then immediately, Sasuke kicked down the door and they dashed through the doorway only to stop in their tracks.

Sakura couldn't even gasp. She screamed but there was no noise. Masking her scream was the screams of the crew in front of them.

Behind the crew was a tall, slender man in a dirty trench coat smothered in unknown stains. He turned around to greet his new guests with a cackle so shrill, so terrible, it ran shivers down their spines. His voice was high, mocking them manically,

"Welcome! Oh my, you kind of caught me in the middle of my work here. Oh what to do, what to do! Well, seeing as you're already here, let's make you comfortable!"

With a wave of his hand, shadows emerged and a horrifying realization had surfaced.

The crew were no longer themselves.

They were too late.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

What was left of the crew was gone completely. What stood before them was mutated men. Blood smothered the marbled floors around them and they saw why. The men were… well, they couldn't tell what they were. Half had monkeys' tails but also had tigers stripes while some had long hairy arms and slacked jaws. The shadows that came out were actually camouflaging, disappearing. It was all too bizarre. But all of it looked painful. The men looked as if they...weren't stable? Some of them have been gushing blood where the animal quirks were clinging to their skin.

Akaike cackled so loudly it echoed throughout the halls,

"You've seem to come at a bad time, but my work will be more than able to handle you lot. Oh my, the floor is wet! I have to be careful to not slip! Now I have to make them mop!"

As Akaike was tiptoeing around, Kousuke was nervous he would escape. He lunged forward, striking fast with his dagger,

"You will not leave, or live, as long as I am alive!"

Sakura yelled,

"No! Dont!"

Triggered, the fresh new beasts spread out, attempting to surround them. Sakura and Sasuke stood back to back. Sakura knew a few could hide in their surroundings. Sasuke knew as well, activating his Susanoo. As he shrouded all three of them, they began to strike. Kousuke was attacking aggressively, digging his dagger into their skin while simultaneously using his rifle as one by one ran out after him. Sakura, as regretful as anyone could have felt, rose into the air causing the floor to rupture beneath them which fortunately blocked Akaike's escape route. She smiled as she heard Akaike shriek but also felt terrible for ruining the temple.

As soon as he maintained his balance, Sasuke began slashing through, trying to deal fatal blows as well, as their real target was Akaike.

Sasuke then came up with a plan to end this quickly. He ran his way back to Sakura, killing one beast that was about to flank her,

"Sakura listen carefully: I need you to destroy the temple."

Sakura looked at him, understanding immediately,

"But Kousuke! He'll get caught in the collapse if we don't grab him."

Sasuke shook his head,

"I'll deal with him. Just run upstairs and wait for my signal. When I whistle, don't hesitate."

With that, he ran off towards their companion. Sakura did as he asked, running all the way back to the entrance while dodging and killing a few beasts that followed or tried to stop her. Sasuke tried to cover her as much as he could before grabbing their attention. There was about two dozen of them, ready to tear them apart. He had to dance around as they each attacked from all directions.

When Sasuke reached Kousuke, Kousuke was full of anger. Rather than talking to him, with one swift movement, he knocked Kousuke into the ground, causing him to blackout. He quickly grabbed Kousuke and made a run towards the stairs.

Sakura meanwhile, had reached outside the temple, waiting.

Sasuke dealt with a few of the beasts, and Akaike realized they were trying to escape. Akaike whistled and shouted,

"Oi! Get them! Don't let them escape!"

Sasuke turned around,

"Shit!"

Sakura heard the signal and took one deep breath, raised her fist and in one swing, she landed it into the stone. The impact reached the temple and began to collapse as planned. Yet she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Sasuke ignored the beasts now, dodging them all, using Susanoo to knock them out of the way, casting fire, anything to make it out before the temple collapsed on them. But, there was a beast with the face of a large tiger pursuing them. Only several feet from the entrance, Sasuke threw Kousuke's unconscious body, rolling it just enough so Sakura could pull him out. He then turned back around, shielding himself with his left arm. The beast dug its teeth into his skin deep, attempting to rip it off him. Sakura dragged Kousuke outside to a safe distance and ran back to the temple. Sasuke saw her at the corner of his eye,

"Don't!"

Sakura ignored him. Sasuke noticed. Swiftly, he took his sword and in one slice, he removed his left arm. In pain, but able to run, he sheathed his sword and made a run towards the entrance. Just as soon as the temple fell, Sasuke mid run, caught Sakura, and escaped just in time. They crashed into the ground, Sakura panicking over Sasuke.

The temple fell, the stones scraping against each other, crumbling down into itself and crushing the beasts inside. Out of all the shrieks, gargling and growling there was one scream that stood out. Akaike.

The collapse drowned out all the noise and eventually….there was silence.

Sakura was crying now, unable to contain her worry. Sasuke sat up, holding in the pain. It didn't hurt as bad as the first time he lost his arm however he's starting to think it was a sign. Sakura tapped into her chakra, using it to stop the bleeding and to close the massive injury.

It took all of Sakura's energy to concentrate on the wound. It took some time but when the wound finally closed she leaned on the floor exhausted. Sasuke sighed from the relief, the pain left him and now he was feeling just as exhausted.

More than anything he was glad they made it out safely. Having to handle all those beasts at once wasn't exactly an advantage. Making the temple fall was the quickest, easiest way to handle the problem. At least now they can leave the island. Sixth Mizukage can handle what happens from here on, and act accordingly to help improve the state of the island.

After some rest, Sakura stood up and helped Sasuke to his feet. They walked over near Kousuke. Sakura placed him beside a tree, and they joined him using the tree to support Sasuke's back. After Sasuke sat down, he leaned back. Sakura sat close beside him to his right, doing the same.

"I'm glad it's over, Sasuke. But please, next time we hear rumors can we NOT try to debunk them?"

Sasuke actually laughed,

"No promises."

Sakura couldn't help herself, she laughed too and suddenly felt so free. Hearing Sasuke's laugh was a new experience for her and it made her feel so happy. It made her feel light and comfortable around him and she found that to be unbelievable. She's always felt so uneasy and nervous around him and now it didn't feel that way. It felt like that boundary was gone. There's no line anymore, and that made her feel so great. Oddly enough, Sasuke felt the same. Spending all this time keeping walls up unnecessarily seemed too emotionally draining. He was tired, and was feeling more than comfortable towards Sakura.

He's always had deep feelings for Sakura. All this time he cared about her but not romantically until recently his feelings have been growing and the feeling felt so light. He was addicted. Without thinking he put his arm around Sakura, bringing her close. It felt like second nature. He fidgeted with her hair that bobbed at her chin, closing his eyes, resting. Sakura on the other hand, was blushing. It made her feel uneasy. She was unsure of how Sasuke truly felt about her, although his actions may have given that away but it still won't mean much unless he speaks to her honestly. She didn't want to bring her hopes up again. She didn't want to assume. Regardless, she's enjoying Sasuke's sudden attention. She turned towards him, digging her face into his chest. She hugged him and as she did, Sasuke hugged her, holding her head gently. He leaned his head on hers, slowly drifting.

Together they slowly fell asleep, their exhaustion finally overwhelming them.

A few days later, they were on their ship heading towards home. A few days previously, Sasuke had sent word about their accidental mission to the Sixth Mizukage and to Kakashi, with additional reports from Kousuke and Sakura explaining the entire event that took place.

After a few hours, the Sixth Mizukage sent a message expressing his gratitude and news of a ship headed to them on the island with supplies and fresh clothes. He also mentioned he sent his personal ship that he used for important guests, asking them to feel relaxed and rejuvenated on their return. The ship was now headed to the Leaf Village and Sakura felt extremely content with that. She couldn't wait to return home after so long.

Thankfully the ship had its own private rooms with personal bathrooms. Sakura was able to finally take a shower. Afterwards, she went to Sasuke's room next door to check on him. She knocked and waited awhile. Eventually Sasuke opened the door only to hear Sakura shriek,

"Put a shirt on! You can't just open the door like that to strangers!"

Sasuke was only wearing his black pants and his usual expression,

"Last I checked, you weren't a stranger."

He left the door open and turned around to sit on his bed. After Sakura wouldn't shut up about it, Sasuke caved and finally put on a shirt. He wanted to relax but someone's sensitive.

He sighed, annoyed,

"What do you want?"

Sakura closed the door behind her and without hesitation, she lifted his left sleeve examining his arm. She was nervous that it may have not healed fully as she was tired before. But after taking a look it was really alright. She smiled, glad she was able to get it done. Sasuke watched her face, following her eyes as she scanned around his arm. He admired her and he didn't know how to handle it other than smirking. She eventually gathered the courage to ask him something that's been on her mind recently,

"Sasuke, are you going to get another artificial arm? I asked Tsunade to help prepare for it but I wanted to ask you first… I've seen you practice your techniques with one hand. It seems like you don't plan to.."

Her voice trailed off as he nodded,

"I don't think I need it. Ever since I first lost my arm, I changed. And so did my body. I think staying like this...helps me remind myself of those who care about me," He paused and looked at Sakura, "and of those who love me."

Sakura felt tears welling up, believing Sasuke was more than capable of succeeding with one arm. She nodded in understanding while wiping her tears. Sasuke turned to fully face her, grabbing her hands,

"Thank you...for always loving me."

Sakura slowly pulled her hands away from his grasp, confused,

"I have something else to ask you."

She paused and took a deep breath. She readjusted herself, sitting cross-legged in front of him feeling a rush,

"I'm tired… I need to know what our relationship is...right now. I need to know that you're not leading me on," She stared directly at him feeling all sorts of nervous jolts in her back and stomach, "Do you...have feelings for...me?"

There was pure silence. It was as if time stopped and she was waiting for it to continue after what seemed like years. She was more than ready to accept whatever was coming. She prepared herself...to be disappointed. Silent tears fell down her face as she waited , however, was surprised by Sakura's forwardness. He wasn't sure how to respond but he knew that it would end depending on his answer. He leaned forward to hold her hand. He looked away, blushing just slightly for the first time in years,

"I...do."


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:** I'M SO SORRY FOR MY ABSENCE. I feel so terrible ToT. I made a long chapter for you guys! I hope you like it!

 **Chapter 23**

"I...do."

Sakura's face flushed, her emotions flying out the window. Years stuck in an unrequited love...how cruel those years were. Everything came at her so hard, so fast she couldn't handle it all at once. She began to sob, her hands trying to catch her tears.

Sasuke never wanted to hurt Sakura. He was harsh in the past and he was aware but he couldn't bring himself to understand Sakura at that time. Back then he felt that she really did not love him, that her feelings were nothing but some naive infatuation. After all the years that passed, only to find that she still...loved him unnerved him. He cared for her like any comrade would for another, but her naive love for him made him resent her. He was harsh, and said rude, mean things in hopes to test the strength of her so-called 'love' for him, yet she never wavered. Yet he denied her feelings, both vocally and internally. He was so lost then, smothered with anger and hate, so much so that he couldn't manage to see the beacon of light she made for him. Just for him. But now...it's different now. He can see it and it is so radiant.

Sakura was embarrassed but she felt pure bliss. She wanted to jump and dance, to smile. She could only do one thing she's wanted to do for the longest time. She lifted herself, slowly reaching for Sasuke into an under arm hug. She sat there, leaning against his chest. She was nervous beyond repair, fearing he might inch away. Sasuke was drawing a blank, not knowing how to act. He hesitated, but he hugged her back. He felt her shake, from nervousness or from crying he could not tell but he dare not ask. He merely held her quietly, patiently.

He held her for the longest time until eventually he realized that she fell asleep. He sighed and readjusted himself and Sakura, cradling her. He leaned against the bed post. He watched her take in every quiet breath, feeling calm. How tired she must have been all this time, he thought. He brushed away her hair to the side of her face, feeling...more self-conscious than he liked. All he could think about was what Sakura would expect from him once they've reached the village. Sasuke wasn't prepared for a relationship in any way, how could he possibly keep her happy? He hadn't a clue about what to prepare himself for. How quickly things progress in just a few minutes.

Sasuke was lost in thought for quite a while until eventually Sakura woke up. It was dawn and Sasuke had nearly been awake all that night. Sakura lifted herself up, yawning loudly. She turned around, noticing that the room she slept in wasn't her room. Sasuke smirked, reaching for Sakura. She felt a hand gently graze her back and she froze. She turned around and Sasuke was sitting upright. Sakura blushed an entirely new shade of red that morning. She quickly got up, realizing last night was no dream and that she must have fallen asleep. Sasuke also got up,

"You fell asleep."

Sakura couldn't say anything, but managed to squeak, "I'm sorry!"

Sasuke smiled, "You don't need to be."

Who would have known there were so many shades of red that could appear on one's face.

Sakura nodded, calming down a bit, but still finding it hard to meet Sasuke's eyes. He finally returned her feelings, but she didn't know how to handle his answer. She expected a forward 'no' and yet it was entirely opposite. And now that they're...an item...how does she act around him? She can't be all over him, or love him as she would have normally. She feared that anything she may try might push him away and that is the last thing she wants. She wants to go slow and pace herself as not to make Sasuke uncomfortable. She realized she is Sasuke's first relationship, and soon began to feel some pressure. Sakura then said,

"Am...I your girlfriend now?" She couldn't stand all the jolts in her back, she was so anxious.

Sasuke didn't hesitate, "Yes."

Sakura smiled, letting out a sigh, "Mmm... I-I'll go back to my room. I'll see you later?"

Sasuke nodded. He followed her to the door to exchange goodbyes. After she had left, he let out a long sigh. Being around her made him...feel nice. Suddenly he wanted to be around her. He shook his head and got ready for the day.

Sakura, on the other hand, couldn't sleep for the rest of the trip. She was overjoyed, smothered in her own happiness. She didn't know how to handle it, let alone what to do with it. With this newfound energy, she decided it was best to meditate and to continue storing her chakra. She overexerted herself lately and thought it best to fill up her reservoirsby meditating the nights away.

When night fell, Sasuke didn't see Sakura. He was looking for her at dinner but she didn't show. He took it upon himself to ask the cook to make a bento for her. Soon after, he made his way to her room. Normally, he wouldn't mind, but he found himself quite nervous. He took a moment, sighed, and then knocked on her door when he arrived. There was no answer, but she was in the room. He felt her presence, as he recognized her chakra. He knocked a few more times, until finally, he let himself in. He looked around cautiously, in case he may have walked in at an inopportune time. He sighed in relief when he saw her sitting on her bed, back straight, her breathing calm and even. He noticed she was meditating, entirely focused. He knew not to disturb her and decided to leave her breakfast for her when she was finished.

It was like this for the rest of the trip, until the very last day at sea, Sakura finally felt satisfied with how much chakra she stored. She thanked Sasuke for his thoughtfulness as sometimes she could lose track of time while meditating. She appreciated it so much, and he knew. She would spend all her time smiling. It was so infectious. Sasuke found himself unable to refrain himself as he found himself smiling in return, however short. During the day, Kousuke told them they'd be arriving in Konoha soon. Sakura was excited for the news, she couldn't wait to get back home. She loved being with Sasuke, but she missed everyone while away. Sasuke, however, didn't want to return, but he had to inform Kakashi of what transpired.

As the day soon became dark, Sakura was outside, breathing in the sea air. She loved it, the way the clouds and lights touched and cascaded into beautiful colors across the sky as the sun set below the sea. It was something she'd miss. However, she had something on her mind. She wondered if Sasuke would care if she told...their friends that they were dating. Would he be okay with that? He would, wouldn't he? She had no idea. Maybe he'd be embarrassed... She sulked, sitting on a chair on deck. A few minutes passed until she realized Sasuke had joined her. Sasuke sat down, looking at her,

"Are you angry at the sun?"

Sakura snorted, "Not at all. Although, I wish it didn't set so fast. No, I have other things on my mind."

Sasuke's brows furrowed. Sakura noticed and sighed, "I was wondering... Would it be okay to...tell everyone about us? I want to, but I wanted to make sure you didn't mind it..."

Sasuke returned his gaze to the ocean, "I thought I would tell everyone."

Sakura's eyes widened, mouth agape, "W-what?"

Sasuke looked away, trying to hide his face, "I'll tell them. It's the truth, so why would I hide it?"

Sakura sat there, staring at him, feeling so warm. She had no words to describe how nice it made her feel that he said that. She felt...blessed.

Sakura smiled, nodding, "Okay."

Eventually, after exchanging small words, they decided to sleep. Soon, they'd reach Konoha... Home.

* * *

As soon as they reached shore, they gathered their things and quickly walked off the ship. There was a message waiting for them at the docks, letting them know that before they do anything else, they must speak with the Hokage and then meet with the Mizukage who wanted to thank them personally. Hearing this, they immediately went on, along with Kousuke.

It took awhile but soon, they reached the village gates. Sakura was so relieved to be home, she couldn't wait to see everyone. Upon their return, they quickly arrived at the Hokage's quarters. Kakashi waited eagerly for their return, as he was worried for his old students. As soon as they came in, he sighed in utter relief and gave them both warm hugs.

"Am I glad to see you both safe. I trust you enjoyed staying on the Mizukage's ship on your way back?"

"Oh yes, it was very comfortable." Sakura nodded, happy to be back. Sasuke also nodded.

They decided to get down to business and write their final reports on the mission, Kousuke included. Kousuke formally introduced himself to Kakashi, complimenting Sakura and Sasuke, speaking highly of them on paper and in person. Soon after, they prepared to meet the Mizukage. The Mizukage presented gifts that he thought would fit Sasuke and Sakura, as thanks for their work on this mission. He presented Sasuke with a very fine sword that is sleek, easy to handle, and similar to the Sword Sasuke had lost during the Fourth Shinobi World War. It had a black scabbard and was very durable and proved to replace his current sword. Sasuke gratefully accepted. Sakura was given a red qipao dress tied with a black obi that presented her signature white circle design on its back. She loved it and gratefully accepted it as well.

"I asked the Hokage what you may have liked, and I am glad what I chose proved to be to your liking."

After informing them of critical details and the like, they were eventually dismissed and sent to rest, orders from the Hokage. They bowed and quietly left the room.

Kakashi sighed, "How on earth did they become apart of this mission?"

Kousuke stepped in, "It was pure coincidence. They had heard rumors and, well, came to our ship. Whether it was dumb luck or unfortunate, I know not. But I do know that I am very grateful to them, and to your village." Kousuke bowed deeply.

The Mizukage nodded, "I apologize, I had no idea until the mission had ended. However, I am indebted to them, and to the Leaf Village. If ever you need our assistance, call on us."

After they exchanged formal thank yous and goodbyes, Kousuke and the Mizukage took their leave. Kakashi sat down, sighing deeply. What a mess, he thought. But they were alive and that was all that mattered.

* * *

Once they left the building, Sakura stretched. She felt tired now that she was back in Konoha. She opened the box that carried her dress, admiring how much she liked it. She couldn't wait to try it on. She turned to look at Sasuke, who was also admiring his new sword. He deeply appreciated the gift as it was something he needed. Sakura smiled, glad that he also liked his gift. Without realizing, she was staring, admiring him. Sasuke is a very handsome man and she couldn't help but acknowledge that in her mind. She wondered if they would ever get intimate but she dare not go anywhere near that topic.

Sasuke put his sword away, and turned to look at Sakura who was still staring. Sasuke looked directly at her eyes without hesitation. His gaze piercing her thoughts. She blushed, unsure of what to say. More than anything, she didn't want to be apart. Sasuke didn't know how to respond either, but continued to stare at her as he also enjoyed admiring her face. After a minute had passed, they heard running in the distance. They both looked in the direction of the noise only to soon realize it was Naruto. He reached them, panting,

"YOU'RE...BACK...!" He bent over breathing, wiping the sweat from his face. Behind him trailed a wobbling Hinata who also was catching her breath. When she joined them, she greeted them sweetly,

"I'm so glad you returned safely."

Sakura hugged Hinata, "We are surprised we even returned, haha. It was dangerous but exciting!"

Naruto was taken aback, "From what I've heard from Kakashi, it sounded intense. Are you both alright?"

Hinata nodded, "Yes, would you like me to check on you? I heard you have seen...terrible things."

Sakura's gaze faced downward, "It's true, what we saw...was unspeakable. But we can manage, Hinata, thank you."

Sakura squeezed Hinata's hands in hers with gratitude for their consideration. Hinata smiled, "Speak to me if anything."

Naruto then put an arm around Hinata, "Did you both want to rest? If you're up for it, we'd like to take you out to eat."

Blushing, Hinata nodded. Sakura glanced at Sasuke hoping to read him so she'd know how to respond but Sasuke was ahead of her. He placed his arm around Sakura,

"We'll have to eat another time... I think we'll rest first."

Naruto and Hinata simultaneously followed and stared at Sasuke's arm. Naruto gasped,

"What happened to your other arm?!" He asked, pointing at his own artificial arm.

Sasuke sighed, "We'll catch up later, Naruto."

With that, he turned, waving. Sakura, blushing, turned, feeling she should follow. She said good-bye to Hinata and Naruto and caught up with Sasuke.

Hinata smiled. Naruto noticed and made a face,

"What is it?"

Hinata looked at him, "Naruto... I think they've grown closer. Don't you?"

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura walked beside each other. Sakura was nervous, wondering if she should be following him or if she should go her own way home. After a few minutes, Sasuke turned to her,

"I'll walk you home."

Sakura, surprised, nodded, "Ah. Thank you, Sasuke. Let's turn here then. I'm not sure if you knew, but I have my own place now. It's small, but I like it."

Sasuke followed her, "Hnn."

It took 15min to reach Sakura's home. She turned to Sasuke, not wanting to be rude,

"Uhm, would you like to come in?"

Sasuke took a few moments before answering, "Not today. You should rest..." He turned to leave, but Sakura unconsciously reached out to grab his cloak, stopping him. Sasuke looked down at her hand, then turned to fully face her. His cool gaze unwavering. Her gaze, however, showed fear. He walked towards her, carrying her hand in his,

"Hn?"

Sakura, hesitating, asked, "You won't leave without telling me...will you?"

As she asked, her eyes appeared glossy. Sasuke let go of her hand and gently poked her forehead, "No. I'll be in the village for the time being. Go rest."

Sakura sighed in relief, "Okay."

He waited for her to enter her home before leaving. He didn't blame her for asking that question. He knew he made a habit of disappearing and he didn't want Sakura to feel she couldn't trust him. Odd, but even if they were apart, he never felt far from her. He couldn't put it into words, but he felt...connected in an entirely new way to her and the feeling ran deep. Sakura, however, felt embarrassed for asking such a thing. She was afraid she sounded as if she didn't trust him when that was not the case. She has lived all these years without his presence, loving him, and somehow it felt as if he was spoiling her. All that time spent together and she is selfish still. But this time, she didn't worry or feel a pinch of pain from being apart. Somehow...she felt so much warmer than before.

During their day back, they unpacked and rested the entire day. Sasuke didn't do much resting as he trained over and over to become familiar with his right hand, dependent on his life with just his right hand. Hours and hours went by and he did not falter. Much of his time was spent slashing dummies, trees, and the like. Sakura however, did rest. She remembered all those terrible creatures... What an unspeakable crime. So many lost to an insane monster. The screams ran on and on, screeching in pain, wailing in sadness, shouting for help... She began to have headaches as a result, but began to occupy herself to keep it at bay. She cleaned her home as she has not been present, and began filing her notes into specific folders and information. In fact, she believed she was coming onto something. She spent the day coming up with a food pill that would sustain their ninja in dire situations, that will keep them nourished and help restore their chakra if needed.

It wasn't until the next day that Sakura had visitors. There was a loud knock on her door, but she was fast asleep on her desk. Again, a loud knock. Sakura stirred, but still, no progress. This time, the knock was non-strop and very loud.

"Sakura! You better wake up, I know you're there!"

"Ino, she's probably tired."

Sakura slowly raised her head, a paper stuck to her face, "Alright, just a minute!" She grabbed the paper from her cheek and tidied her desk. She fixed her hair to look decent enough before reaching the door. Her room was naturally clean despite Sakura's random untidiness. As soon as she unlocked the door, Ino helped herself in,

"Sakura! Why didn't you tell me you were back!? Also, Hinata told me about Sasuke! What's going on?" Ino and Hinata entered her home, Ino sitting herself down at the table and Hinata waiting.

"Ah, sorry for coming so early, Sakura. Ino insisted... Can I sit?"

Sakura nodded, "Of course, please sit. Sorry I didn't tell you Ino... I won't lie, it's been rough."

She sat down on one end of the table while they both were on either side next to her. Hinata realized Sakura was too tired so she took it upon herself to make some tea. Sakura insisted she'd prepare it but Hinata asked her to not worry and to let her manage. Sakura rubbed her face,

"I feel so...dreary but refreshed. Terrible combo. You could've atleast waiting a few hours, Ino."

It was 6AM and Ino wouldn't hear it, "Sakura, I've been so worried! When Naruto told me about your accidental mission, it sounded so dangerous. Hinata told me you didn't look so well either, that you looked paler than usual."

Sakura caved, "You both are right, I haven't been feeling alright. That mission wasn't pleasant but I don't know if I could tell you. It was...so horrible."

As she spoke, Hinata brought the tea to the table, serving Sakura, "Sakura, that's why we're hear. If there's anything you'd like to talk about, you know you can speak to us. Tell us about what happened, maybe you'll feel lighter."

Sakura took the mug, hesitating, not knowing how much to share. She knew they were right. They gave her expecting looks, waiting patiently to hear her thoughts and details. She sighed, knowing she wouldn't win this argument. She explained what had transpired from when they reached the docks, to when they defeated Akaike. She explained that some of her memories are fuzzy (which was mostly a lie) because she didn't want to remember most of the attacks. But she did describe to the best of her ability how terrible it all was and how deformed the creatures were. It...was a nightmare. The girls listened intently, appalled, but waited for her to finish. When Sakura was done, there was a pause. Hinata reached for Sakura's hand,

"I am proud of you. You must've been so tired and afraid."

Ino placed her hand on Sakura's arm, "We are both proud and glad you survived. We've been worried all this time, but we knew you both would return, deep down."

Sakura shook her head, "Let's change the atmosphere. How have you both been?"

Hinata explained that her and Naruto were getting along nicely, and that they've spent lots of time together, mostly eating, but also enjoying each other's company. She would sometimes help Naruto teach the students about the importance of medical ninjutsu after work at the hospital. Sakura complimented her as she would have had a hard time finding time between both. Ino, on the other hand, still kept a flower shop despite working at the hospital as well. However, during Sakura's time away, she would spend her days hoping Sai would notice her. Sakura knew Ino had a crush on Sai but Ino didn't know how to approach him as Sai tended to be...emotionally detached. But, despite that, Ino took it upon herself to ask Sai out to date. She explained how nervous she felt, but Sai agreed and since then, they've been dating.

"Sai was hard to read at first, but I just needed to be patient with him. I'm starting to feel...closer to him. It's nice."

Sakura and Hinata smiled. They were glad to see Ino make advances toward Sai. They were happy for their friend and congratulated her on her courage. Ino waved her hand,

"Alright, alright, enough about me. Now, for the real discussion. Sakura, what happened with Sasuke? Hinata told me he had his arm around you!"

Hinata blushed as she was accused of spilling the beans, "S-sorry, I couldn't help but notice..."

Sakura laughed, "No, you both are fine. Uhm... I'm not sure how to tell you, but we started dating officially, a few days ago. It still feels unreal."

Sakura's gaze was stuck looking at her half finished mug. Her gaze grew distant, and she smiled, "I love him so much, you know. He's so caring, in a way I've never seen before. And now that he...also feels the same way, I feel so incredibly overjoyed. I don't know what to do with myself, I'm so happy. I've been meditating to calm myself, but I also find myself emotionally exhausted these days. I have to keep moving or keep myself preoccupied just to busy myself. I...love him."

They listened patiently, as they both knew how much this meant to Sakura. They both gave her big, warm hugs, and said they should go out and have lunch, all of them together. She said she'd let them know after she spoke to Sasuke. After they chatted and laughed for awhile longer, they left her alone to get ready for the day and to also head to work. They exchanged goodbyes and Sakura watched them disappear down the road. She smiled to herself, feeling grateful for having her best friends.

* * *

Later on, Sakura made her way to Sasuke's home, but really, she knew he'd be training. His home had it's own training grounds. It wasn't as big but it proved spacious enough to achieve its purpose. She brought her bag that carried a few water bottles and some sandwiches in case. It took about 20mins to arrive. She was nervous, wondering if Sasuke would mind. When she got there around noon or so, the training grounds were behind the household. She knocked a few times and heard no answer. She called out to Sasuke to see if he could hear her before she let herself in. She took off her sandals and entered the home. It was cold, windows open, letting the cool breeze in. It was rather dark but not miserable. She made her way to the back, finding her assumption to be correct. There he was, training. She noticed many debris across the yard. She smiled awkwardly, noticing Sasuke was running out of resources as he only had a few logs left for practice. He didn't notice her, or if he did, he didn't make it obvious. She decided to wait and sat at edge of the porch, watching him. In case he was too focused, she brought some of her notes to work on, as she was still coming up with a food pill.

After several minutes, Sasuke sheathed his sword and finally looked at Sakura. She noticed no more slashing noises and looked up. She smiled when she met his face, "Sorry, I knew you'd be training so I just let myself in. Don't worry, I locked the door. Oh, and I brought you some water and some snacks."

Sasuke stood hands on hips, panting softly. As usual, her smile was infectious. He smiled, tired from training all morning. He joined her and thanked her. He drank two bottled waters, as she knew he would. She handed him his small lunch and together they sat in silence, eating. Sakura paused for a moment and then asked, "Sasuke, do you want to have lunch with everyone? Naruto will be there, as will Hinata, Ino and Sai. Nothing too big. It's alright if you'd rather train."

She smiled, knowing full well Sasuke doesn't like social gatherings. Sasuke stopped eating for a moment until eventually he said, "I'll go."

Sakura almost choked on her water, "Really?"

Sasuke chuckled, "Why do I always surprise you?"

Sakura's gaze lowered, "You must admit, some of the things you've been doing have been so...different from what I'd expect. But it's fun getting to know you again..."

Sasuke looked at her with his usual cool gaze, "You might be right. I just...want to make you happy."

Sasuke blushed slightly, looking away. Sakura's eyes shone, her heart growing, "Oh, Sasuke. You've already made me happy. Being together... That is all I could ever ask of you."

Sasuke returned her gaze, calm but surprised. She didn't expect anything from him. He was surprised either way that she hasn't tried anything he thought she normally would. She...is respecting his space and their relationship. However trivial it may seem to some, Sasuke however proud he may feel, it moved him. Sakura moved beside him, "Sasuke, I love you. I always have. Being together is my happiness in our relationship. I want you to be comfortable and to be yourself. If something troubles you, I am here. Or if you want to be alone, I understand. You need only ask."

She said it so easily, while blushing. She could sit there fussing over how embarrassing it is to say it so forwardly, but she rather he understood her. She took a bite from her sandwich eyeing all the slashed debris in the yard. She chuckled a bit, mouth full, "Sasuke, at some point, you should try finding someone to spar with. Might save you...the mess." Sasuke chuckled softly, admiring her. He was seeing Sakura in an entirely mature light that he didn't expect to see in all honesty. Being taller, he leaned in and kissed her forehead. Sakura, taken off guard, stopped to look at him. Sasuke ignored her looks of confusion and continued eating as if he hadn't done anything.

Sakura huffed, but smiled. She loved the small affection he gave her. It could leave her happy for days, years even. They spent half an hour together, enjoying what Sakura prepared. Sasuke helped her clean up and she waited inside while Sasuke took a shower. While waiting she decided to let some light in his house, to make it a little warmer. She cleaned up the place, as dust appeared and so on. Sasuke returned with a towel on his head drying his hair, wearing a long sleeve and vest over it, his trousers slim and neat. He found Sakura over her notes on the kitchen table. He leaned over her, looking at her.

"A kind of food pill... That's interesting."

Sakura was startled, exhaling in relief, "You think so? I think I'm very close to figuring it out. I'm thinking of going to the hospital tomorrow to see if I can create it after some revising tonight."

Sasuke poked her forehead, "Don't stay up." He left her to her thoughts as he made his way back to his room. He came back a moment later, his black cloak covering his missing arm. He stood awkwardly until Sakura noticed him, "Sakura, could you..?" He motioned her to help him pin his sleeve so that it wouldn't dangle uselessly. She smiled and helped him.

"If you want, I can get your clothes tailored to fit this way? It would save you the trouble."

Sasuke mumbled, "Perhaps..."

Sakura felt very happy and daring. She reached for Sasuke's face, her feet on her toes. Smoothly, she gave him a small peck on his cheek. Sasuke blushed but tried to hide it by looking away.

"Let's go."

Sakura grinned, "Yes, let's!"

* * *

Sasuke reached for the front door, and once opened, found a Naruto that was just about to knock.

"Oh! Sasuke! Let's eat!"

Naruto grinned that cheshire cat grin of his. Sakura peeked from behind Sasuke, "Oh, Naruto! We were just leaving to join you."

Naruto paused...putting pieces together...very slowly. There was a long pause while Naruto scrunched up his face in suspicion.

"Sasuke... Why is Sakura here? I mean, I know why she's here, but why did you let her inside?"

Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes, "Naruto."

Sakura laughed not knowing whether to be offended or not, "What?"

Sakura blushed red. Naruto laughed, "But then..? Are you both...dating?"

Sasuke nodded in affirmation, "Yes, Naruto." Sakura blushed hearing it directly from Sasuke like that. Her heart felt like it was going to burst.

Naruto grinned so wide. Sasuke pushed passed him as they stepped through the doorway. After Sasuke was a few steps ahead, Naruto turned to Sakura, obviously happy for her. He held out a fist, and she bumped it with hers, giggling. The three of them walked together, getting lost in conversation and laughter.


End file.
